2021 Mekelle air strikes

2021 air strikes of Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia

2021 Mekelle air strikes

Part of the Tigray War and the 2021 Tigray offensive
Type| Airstrike
Location|

Mekelle, Tigray Region, Ethiopia

13°29′38″N 39°27′58″E﻿ / ﻿13.494°N 39.466°E﻿ / 13.494; 39.466
Date| 18 October 2021 (2021-10-18), 20 October 2021 (2021-10-20)
Executed by|  Ethiopian Air Force
Casualties| 4[1] killed
9[1] injured

Mekelle

Location of Mekelle within Ethiopia

* v
* t
* e

Tigray War

2020

* Northern Command
* Humera
* Asmara
* Mekelle

2021

* Operation Alula
* Tigrayan offensive
* TDF–OLA joint offensive
* National Unity offensive

2022

* Shire

Massacres

2020

* Mai Kadra
* Humera
* Adigrat
* Zalambessa
* Dengelat
* 1st Wukro
* 2nd Wukro
* Hitsats
* 1st Mekelle
* Axum
* Goda
* Hagere Selam
* Ziban Gedena
* Gijet
* 3rd Wukro

2021

* Bora
* Debano
* Mahbere Dego
* 4th Wukro
* Kola Tembien
* Zamr
* Finarwa
* 5th Wukro
* Haddush Addi
* May Atsmi
* Tisha
* Gira Aras
* Guh
* Togoga
* Galikoma
* Chenna
* Kobo
* 2nd Mekelle
* Kombolcha

2022

* Dedebit
* Berhale
* Mekelle kindergarten
* Adi Daero

On 18 October 2021, the Ethiopian Air Force conducted two airstrikes on the city of Mekelle in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War.[2] 3 children were killed in the strikes.[3]

On 20 October, there were new air strikes targeting inhabited areas of Tigray's capital city.[4] A large enterprise, Mesfin Industrial Engineering, was also targeted.

Airstrikes continued on 21 and 22 October; the latter was nearby Mekelle University main campus, and Mekelle Airport and coincided with the landing time of a UN humanitarian flight. As a consequence, the UN cancelled further humanitarian flights to Mekelle.[5]

## Attack[edit]

The first airstrike struck near a cement factory on the outskirts of Mekelle killing 3 children according to a local hospital.[3] The second strike hit the city center near the Planet Hotel damaging the hotel and nearby buildings including Mesfin Industrial Engineering, killing one engineer.[6] Nine people were injured.[3] Bombs are launched from high altitudes, by fear of the TDF aerial defence and often miss their targets. In case of the humanitarian flight, the aim of organising a bombing raid at that very moment, might have been to induce the aerial defence into error and possibly shoot down the incoming civil aircraft. Fortunately, Mekelle Airport control tower could inform the pilots timely so that the flight returned to Addis Ababa without damage.[5]

## Aftermath[edit]

The airstrikes were first denied,[6] then later admitted by the Ethiopian government.[7] The Ethiopian Press Agency said the airstrikes hit media and communications equipment used by Tigrayan forces.[7] Tigrayan spokesman Getachew Reda said the airstrikes were targeting civilians noting that Monday, the day of the attack, is market day in Mekelle and the second airstrike hit a nearby market.[8] Billene Seyoum, spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said. “Civilians and civilian areas were not part of the target.”[8]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Gianluca Mezzofiore, Bethlehem Feleke, Barbara Arvanitidis and Sharon Braithwaite (19 October 2021). "Three children killed in airstrikes on Ethiopia's Tigray region, UN says". CNN. Retrieved 20 October 2021.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
2. ^ "Ethiopia conducts air strikes on capital of Tigray region". France 24. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
3. ^ a b c "Three children killed in strike on Ethiopia's Mekelle - UN". Reuters. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
4. ^ The New Arab, 20 October: Ethiopia's Tigray region capital Mekelle hit by airstrike for second time in week
5. ^ a b "UN cancels Tigray flights after Ethiopia government airstrike". www.msn.com.
6. ^ a b "Tigray forces say air strikes hit Ethiopia's Mekelle, government denies". Reuters. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
7. ^ a b "New army strikes kill civilians in northern Ethiopia, rebels on the move". uk.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
8. ^ a b "Ethiopia Stages Airstrikes Targeting Rebel Region's Capital". Bloomberg.com. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.

* v
* t
* e

Tigray War

Background|

| History|

* History of Western Tigray
* Welkait question
* 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia
* Eritrean–Ethiopian War
* border conflict
* Elections in Ethiopia
* 2005 election / massacre
* 2014–16 Oromo protests
* 2016–18 state of emergency
* Resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn

|

Prelude|

* Ethiopian civil conflict (2018–present)
* 2018 Eritrea–Ethiopia summit
* Tripartite Agreement
* Formation of the Prosperity Party
* COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia
* Hachalu Hundessa riots
* 2020 Tigray regional election

Timeline|

* Northern Command attacks
* Battle of Humera
* Asmara rocket attacks
* Mekelle offensive
* Operation Alula
* 2021 Mekelle air strikes
* TDF–OLA joint offensive
* 2021–2022 Ethiopian state of emergency
* ENDF National Unity Offensive
* Battle of Shire

Impact|

* Reactions
* 2021 Ethiopian general election
* Spillover
* Sudan
* 2022 al-Shabaab invasion of Ethiopia

Peace process|

* Overview
* Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement
* Interim Administration

Groups|

| Key actors|

* Ethiopian federal government
* Eritrea
* Involvement
* Tigray / TPLF
* Amhara
* Afar

|

Institutions|

* Ethiopian National Defense Force
* Transitional Government of Tigray
* Tigray Defence Forces
* Eritrean Defence Forces

Militias|

* Fano
* UFEFCF

Human rights
organisations|

* EHRC
* Inquiry Board

| Non-state|

* EHRCO
* ERCS
* HRCE
* Seb Hidri
* Yikono

|

Human rights|

| Casualties|

* Casualties of the Tigray War

|

Discrimination|

* Ethnic profiling

War crimes|

| Massacres|

* Adi Daero school
* Adigrat
* Axum
* Chenna
* Dedebit
* Dengelat
* Hitsats
* Humera
* Kobo
* May Kadra
* Togoga

|

* Sexual violence
* Hawzen
* Destruction of Heritage
* Aksum
* Debre Damo
* Negash mosque
* Predictions of a genocide in Ethiopia

Refugees/IDPs|

* Hamdayet (Ethiopians)
* Refoulement of Eritrean refugees
* Shire

Food|

* Famine in northern Ethiopia (2020–present)

Investigations|

* ACHPR Tigray investigation
* EHRC–OHCHR Tigray investigation
* ICHREE

Category / Commons
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template