Tigray Conflict Rages as 52 Civilians Killed in Alamata

At least 52 civilians were killed during three days of heavy fighting around Alamata in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, hospital sources told the BBC. Government troops are reported to have taken control of the town from regional fighters and are now pushing north toward Mekelle, the region’s main city. Social media clips show army tanks moving through Alamata’s streets.

The clashes erupted last week after months of tension between the Ethiopian government and the party that runs Tigray. Both sides blame each other for violating a 2022 cease‑fire that ended a two‑year civil war.

Neighbouring regions are also affected, with 33 tourists stranded in Lalibela, a UNESCO world‑heritage site. A British tourist who remained unnamed told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the area was surrounded by a large military presence and that the airport had been closed to commercial flights for a week. Several Israeli tourists were evacuated by military helicopter on Monday, and five others left the city the day before via an NGO convoy.

According to a medic at Alamata General Hospital, the fighting involved heavy artillery and some of the shells landed in residential homes. The most lethal strike hit the town’s marketplace, killing twelve people. Children as young as three days old, mothers and cattle herders were among those killed.

Meanwhile, the government’s clampdown on banking services in Tigray has left many residents, even those outside the region, unable to access their accounts. One former Mekelle resident, now living in Addis Ababa, could not pay for public transport using a mobile transfer because his account had been frozen.

The Tigray Broadcasting Service has begun an initiative to reconnect families by collecting video messages via its Telegram channel and airing them on satellite TV. Though limited, this effort provides a rare lifeline for isolated households.

Although the situation is improving, dramatic uncertainty continues. The airport in Alamata might reopen, but local residents remain fearful of further military movements heading north.