Madar (Addis Ababa) - Four civilians, including two children, were killed and five others wounded on Tuesday evening, October 20, 2026, in a drone strike on livestock traders in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, AFP reported, as cited by Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
A priest living in the area, about 85 kilometres southwest of the regional capital Mekelle, told the agency the drone struck the traders in Finarwa as they loaded goats onto a vehicle, killing four people instantly. A resident who asked not to be named confirmed the strike, saying: "We had difficulty taking the wounded to hospital because there was no ambulance." The sources did not say who carried out the strike.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which Addis Ababa does not recognise, allied with armed groups in late September with the aim of toppling the central government. After advancing notably in neighbouring Afar, its forces retreated north, lost Tigray's main cities and withdrew from Mekelle on October 3 without a fight.
The fighting that erupted last month is the biggest escalation since the 2020-2022 war in Tigray. According to the conflict monitor ACLED, Ethiopian army drone strikes in Tigray in August and September killed TPLF members and civilians.
The strike came a day after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warned Eritrea of "severe consequences" if it continued to support rebels in his country.
