A drone strike in northern Ethiopia killed twelve civilians on Friday in the town of Rama in the Tigray region.
Residents had gathered on the road to collect sorghum. A privately owned truck transporting grain for local traders had been struck there on Thursday night, scattering the harvest.
Local sources informed the Ethiopian news outlet Addis Standard that twelve individuals died immediately at the scene. Several others suffered injuries, some in serious condition.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project verified the incident. The monitoring organisation recorded twelve fatalities alongside injuries and property damage.
This violence coincides with renewed combat in Tigray. The increased use of drone operations has generated alarm about civilian protection.
Earlier in October, separate drone strikes in Medebay Terer resulted in seven civilian deaths, including an eight-year-old girl, and left six other people injured. Attacks in the Hintalo district also produced civilian casualties, including a two-year-old child.
Violence involving drone strikes has expanded beyond Tigray into the neighbouring Amhara region and western Oromia. A strike on Thursday at the Hayiq Jari Two Turk displacement camp in Amhara killed at least sixteen civilians and injured twenty-two others.
The northern conflict has escalated diplomatic friction with neighbouring Eritrea. Addis Ababa has accused Asmara of deploying troops into Tigray and backing armed groups.
Eritrea has denied these allegations. Observers warn that the ongoing disputes threaten to trigger a wider regional confrontation.
