Ethiopia: More Than 100 People Killed in Drone Strike in East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region – Eyewitnesses Report Civilian Casualties
Addis Abeba- More than 100 people were reportedly killed in a drone strike on Thursday, April 17, in Gedeb, a rural town in Enarj Enawga district of East Gojjam Zone, Amhara region, according to residents and eyewitnesses who spoke to the BBC.
Local residents said the drone strike hit an area near Gedeb Primary School, where a large group had gathered for what they described as “development work,” including constructing a fence for the school. One eyewitness stated that those present were “peaceful people” engaged in community work.
An eyewitness who was near the location at the time of the strike told the BBC, “We didn’t know what was happening,” and described scenes of “screaming, commotion, and panic.”
The resident added that when he and others approached the site, “you couldn’t distinguish individual people.” He continued, “Everything turned black. There were no recognizable human forms in the entire area. Among those who fell, some were screaming, some were rolling on the ground. What happened is horrifying. It’s an extremely horrifying act for any human being.”
Another resident, who sustained injuries to their right hand while working on the school fence, said there was a “heavy explosion” and that “many people were injured.”
Other witnesses said more than 24 injured individuals were taken to the Gedeb Primary Hospital for medical treatment, but that most died after arriving at the facility.
A resident who said he transported bodies using a bajaj (three-wheeled vehicle) to the church stated that “between 115 and 120 bodies were buried,” and added, “I think there might be more unaccounted for because we were in a state of panic.”
Another eyewitness said he was present until 57 bodies were collected and estimated the total death toll to be over 100.
According to multiple accounts, identifying the victims was difficult due to the severity of the injuries. Residents said the bodies were buried in a mass grave at Gedeb St. Giorgis Church by noon.
“When told to bury them quickly to prevent vultures from eating them, the community rapidly buried them in about five graves,” said one resident.
According to one resident, following the attack, government forces entered the area, carried out additional attacks, and some residents fled the town out of fear
“There has been terror lately. The entire population is living in fear,” one resident said, adding that people observed the Easter holiday under stress, fearing another attack. “There was no real holiday celebration. The area is in deep mourning. It didn’t feel like a holiday at all. Children who normally come from the city for the holiday didn’t come.”
However, Mulu Gete, administrator of Enarj Enawga district, told the BBC that the drone strike targeted “extremist” Fano militants and called claims that civilians were killed “enemy propaganda.” He further asserted, “There is a large assembly of forces in this area… talk of school fence construction and house building is just a cover-up.”
The report of the drone strike and civilian casualties in Gedeb town comes as the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) announced recent military operations across the Amhara region, claiming to have killed more than 300 Fano fighters “in a single day in Gojam” alone.
The war-torn Amhara region has seen multiple incidents of drone strikes resulting in civilian casualties since the conflict began in April 2023.
In mid-February, Addis Standard reported that a drone strike in Ambasel district, South Wollo Zone, killed four people, including three children. Residents also reported that several houses were destroyed.
A week earlier, a separate drone strike in Zenbo Kebele, Efrata Gidem district, North Shewa Zone, killed three civilians, including a pregnant woman and her six-year-old daughter, according to a family member.
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