Ethiopia gov’t doesn’t target civilians in Tigray war: official

Ethiopia’s military has denied it carried out air strike on a busy market in Tigray, which left dozens of people dead, but it acknowledged targeting rebel fighters “in civilian clothes” in the restive region.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | The Ethiopian government doesn’t target civilians in the ongoing war in the country’s northern Tigray regional state, an Ethiopian official said on Thursday.

Speaking to journalists, Dina Mufti, Spokesman for Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), said the government doesn’t target any civilians nor does it have any civilian targets in Tigray.

The remarks came after reports of casualties following a military airstrike on Tuesday in Togoga village, about 30 km west of Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle. The airstrike allegedly left dozens of people dead and injured many others, according to eyewitnesses and medical sources.

The MoFA spokesman said the government is continuing its pursuit of fugitive TPLF leaders. “There is a hunt for unlawful elements in the northern part of Ethiopia,” said Mufti, adding the military is flushing them out from where they are hiding.

Months of fighting in Tigray between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which used to rule the Tigray region until last November, and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces backed by allied forces have reportedly left thousands of people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

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Xinhua