A drone strike that hit a militia camp in Ethiopia’s Amhara region killed 36 militias and wounded 16 others, eyewitnesses told APA over the weekend.
The attack took place in Sahala Seyemti district of the Wag Hemra Nationality Administration, where government’s militia members were gathered for a meeting and breakfast.
District authorities confirmed the attack and acknowledged that it was erroneously conducted by government forces.
The camp, located near an area known as Sefa Bridge outside the district capital Mechaha, had served as a militia base since the start of the Tigray conflict.
Residents said the site was used as an arms depot and as a resting and supply center for security forces, with militia members tasked with preventing Fano fighters operating in the area from entering the district.
They said weapons stored inside the camp were largely destroyed by the strike. District officials said local defense commanders later described the incident as a “mistake.”
The strike comes amid heightened tensions in parts of Amhara, where clashes between government forces and armed Fano groups have intensified in recent months.
According to the residents, the victims expressed fear as military drones had been conducting surveillance in the area.
The district authorities said the strike came 30 minutes after the military drones had stopped the surveillance.
The whereabouts of four militias, who were in the camp, has not been known.
MG/as/APA