52 Civilians Killed in Three Days of Tigray Fighting: Medic — SkimNews
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- At least 52 civilians were killed in three days of heavy fighting around Alamata in Tigray between Saturday and Monday, according to a doctor at Alamata General Hospital, with victims including children as young as three days old, mothers and cattle herders, and 12 killed in a single marketplace strike.
- Government troops appear to have taken control of Alamata and intend to push north toward Mekelle, the regional capital, as both the government and the TPLF accuse each other of violating the 2022 ceasefire deal that ended the two-year civil war.
- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported more than 700 wounded people had been admitted to hospitals it supports in Tigray over the past few days, with TPLF fighters also battling in the strategic Afar zone linking landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti's ports.
- At least 33 tourists have been stranded in Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Amhara region, since its airport closed to commercial flights last Wednesday; 14 Israelis were evacuated by military helicopter Monday, while Americans, Britons, South Koreans, South Africans, an Ethiopian-New Zealander and a Mexican remained.
- A banking and telecoms blackout imposed since the fighting began has cut internet and phone access across Tigray and frozen accounts even for Tigrayans living in Addis Ababa, who report being unable to complete mobile transfers for accounts opened in Tigray.
- A seven-member armed alliance formed in September by the TPLF, an Amhara militia and other Ethiopian armed movements has stated its intention of removing the government in Addis Ababa, while the government accuses Eritrea of backing the armed groups, which Asmara denies.
- Tigray Broadcasting Service (TBS), based in Addis Ababa, launched an initiative to collect video messages via Telegram from people outside the region and air them on satellite TV, creating a rare lifeline for families separated by the telecom blackout.
Why it matters: The three-day surge around Alamata — at least 52 civilians killed, 700+ wounded and a deliberate banking and telecoms cutoff — means the 2022 ceasefire that ended a two-year civil war is breaking down, while a new seven-party armed alliance fights across Tigray, Amhara and the Afar corridor linking landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti's ports.
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