10 killed in air strikes on capital of Ethiopia's Tigray

 At least 10 people were killed on Wednesday on the second day of air strikes against Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, a hospital official said, Reuters reported.

Tigrayan forces have been battling the Ethiopian military and its allies since late 2020 with a ceasefire earlier this year shattered last month as fighting flared again.

Five of the victims died en route to Mekelle's Ayder Referral Hospital, said the hospital's CEO, Kibrom Gebreselassie.

The others died at the scene of the drone strike in the Midre Genet neighborhood, Kibrom said, citing the city's emergency coordinator.

Ethiopian military spokesperson Colonel Getnet Adane and government spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs Tigray, said on Sunday it was ready for a further truce and would accept an African Union-led peace process. Ethiopia's government has not yet responded to the offer. read more

A surgeon at Ayder, Fasika Amdeslasie, said most of Wednesday's victims were hit in a second strike after people had gathered to assist victims of a first hit.

RHM/PR