Ethiopia fighting escalates in Tigray killing 52 civilians, medic tells the BBC

What the report says

At least 52 civilians have been killed in three days of intense fighting around Alamata in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, according to hospital sources cited by BBC Africa. The BBC reported that government forces appear to have taken control of the town and may be moving north toward Mekelle, the regional capital. Social media footage reviewed by the broadcaster showed tanks and armored vehicles on Alamata’s streets.

The violence is part of a wider escalation between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which has accused the other side of breaking the 2022 agreement that ended the country’s two-year civil war. The BBC said clashes also spread beyond Tigray, including to nearby Amhara region, where 33 tourists were reported stranded in Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site. One British tourist told BBC Newsday that gunfire and artillery were heard through the week, amid a strong military presence.

A doctor at Alamata General Hospital told the BBC the fighting involved heavy explosives and artillery, with some shells landing in homes. The hospital source said children, mothers and cattle herders were among the dead, and one market strike killed 12 people. The BBC also reported that more than 700 wounded people had been admitted to hospitals supported by Médecins Sans Frontières in Tigray.

BBC Africa said communications and banking services in Tigray have been cut, worsening the humanitarian impact and making independent reporting difficult. The blackout has also affected people outside the region with Tigray-linked bank accounts. The situation matters because the fighting threatens to reopen a major regional conflict and could draw in neighboring areas, including Eritrea, which Ethiopia has accused of backing armed groups.