The Ethiopian army launched an air strike against Mekele, the capital of the northern region of Tigray, for the second time this week. The information, provided by humanitarian sources and a resident of Mekele, was confirmed by a government spokesman.
The raid “targeted facilities converted (by the Tigrayan rebels) into a weapons manufacturing and repair center for their military equipment,” government communications chief Legesse Tulu told AFP by text message.
No human toll was immediately available following the airstrike, which notably destroyed an industrial site, the resident said, adding “it was very heavy and the plane was very close”.
“The whole company burned, we do not know if there are victims, but the whole building went up in smoke,” he added.
On Monday, the Ethiopian army carried out two raids against positions of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in Makele, marking a new escalation in the conflict that has pitted Ethiopian federal forces and their allies against the Tigrayan rebels for nearly a year.
For the past two weeks, various sources have reported signs of a new offensive by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s regime against the Tiger leaders who have dominated Ethiopian politics for thirty years.