In the Amhara region of Ethiopia, a tragic incident unfolded this week as an airstrike claimed the lives of at least 15 civilians, including children and the elderly.
The devastating attack occurred on Monday, approximately 24 km (15 miles) away from ongoing clashes between Ethiopian troops and militiamen.
Residents, who chose to remain anonymous due to fears of reprisals, revealed that the strike targeted a truck transporting individuals to a village.
The victims comprised individuals escaping the conflict’s turmoil and those returning home from a baptism ceremony.
The heart-wrenching toll reflects the indiscriminate nature of the violence, affecting innocent lives caught in the crossfire. Despite the severity of the situation, requests for comments from Ethiopia’s government, military, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office have gone unanswered.
The conflict in the Amhara region has been ongoing since July, with Ethiopian troops engaged in fierce battles against the Fano militia. Reports from the United Nations last year indicated a death toll exceeding 200 people.
The airstrike on Monday specifically targeted a substantial Isuzu truck carrying several dozen people in Amhara’s North Shewa Zone, as recounted by the three residents.
Unfortunately, the details provided could not be independently verified, leaving the extent of the tragedy further shrouded in uncertainty.
“We first heard an explosion and the area was covered with smoke and dust,” a priest said. “We collected 15 bodies. It was more a matter of collecting their dismembered bodies. Hands, legs and heads were everywhere.”
The priest said more than 20 people wounded in the strike were sent to hospital and that he thought the overall death toll was significantly higher.
Another resident, who said he lost 10 family members in the strike, said at least 30 people had been killed. He said villagers told him that just before the explosion, they had seen a small drone flying in the area.
A third resident said his son and daughter-in-law were among at least 20 people killed in the truck.
The Ethiopian military has used drones extensively during the fighting, according to the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
The commission has documented the deaths of at least 81 civilians that it said were killed in drone strikes or extrajudicial killings by government security forces. The militiamen are not known to have any air assets.
