Society News
Drone strikes in Ethiopia: 14 dead near a school run, or at least 25, depending on the report
Drone strikes in Ethiopia killed civilians, including children, according to reports published on Friday, October 30. The Hindu reported that drone strikes killed 14 people, including children, in the northern Amhara region, citing witnesses. One witness, identified as Ahmed, said the strikes hit a camp just as students were coming home from school. The paper attributed its toll to witnesses rather than to officials or hospitals.
Arab News gave a higher toll of at least 25 civilians and placed the strikes within the government's continuing operations against rebels in both the Amhara and Tigray regions.
“There are claims of indiscriminate attacks targeting non-combatants.” — Arab News
Neither report, in the versions available to us, named the exact location of the strikes or included a response from the Ethiopian government or military to the accounts.
How each outlet framed it
- The Hindu — witness testimony from the ground, with the focus on children returning from school.
- Arab News — a wider count and the broader government campaign across two regions.
Where the numbers differ: 14 dead in the witness-based report, at least 25 in Arab News. The gap may come from counting a single strike against several strikes, or from tallies made at different times.
What we don't know yet: exactly where the camp was, who was living there, and whether any independent body will investigate the strikes.