A drone strike has killed two nuns and injured six priests at Arsema Monastery near Mekane Selam town in Ethiopia’s Amhara region as fighting between government forces and Fano armed groups continues to escalate across the region.
Local reports have attributed the attack to the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), alleging that the monastery was targeted during intensified military operations against Fano forces in Amhara. However, the circumstances surrounding the strike and the identity of those responsible have not been independently verified.
According to information reached APA from the monastery’s abbot, Abba Elias on Friday, one of the nuns died instantly while the second passed away while being transported to Mekane Selam Hospital.
Eyewitnesses told APA that aerial surveillance preceded three to four hours before launching the attack at approximately 10:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
While acknowledging that Fano militia forces operate near the vicinity and maintain outposts outside the monastic grounds, residents emphasised that the strike directly impacted monastic quarters.
At the time of the bombardment, residents were actively engaged in grain preparations ahead of the upcoming rainy season. The impact severely damaged several compound structures, including the Bete Egziabher building; a workshop used for manual crafts, meal preparation facilities, vital grain stores, and local water supply lines.
Neither the Ethiopian government nor the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has yet to release a formal response.
Images purportedly showing the bodies of victims and extensive damage to parts of the monastery have circulated on social media, prompting widespread anger and condemnation among members and followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Arsema Monastery, located in the Mekane Selam area of Wollo, is regarded as one of Ethiopia’s historic Orthodox religious institutions. The reported attack has raised fresh concerns over the impact of the conflict in Amhara on religious sites and civilian communities.
The incident comes as Ethiopian government forces continue military operations against Fano fighters in several parts of Amhara region, where armed clashes have persisted for years.
The reported strike has also renewed concerns among Orthodox Christians over violence targeting religious communities in other parts of Ethiopia. In the Arsi area of the Oromia region, attacks against Orthodox Christians have been reported repeatedly in recent years.
MG/abj/APA