At least 50 killed during airstrike on Ethiopian school

A view of protestors waving Ethiopian flags in the country in 2021.
(Image credit: AMANUEL SILESHI/AFP via Getty Images)

More than 50 people were killed and at least 70 more were injured following an airstrike on a school in Ethiopia on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

The airstrike took place in the nation's northern Tigray region, around 25 miles from the Ethiopian border with Eritrea, according to aid workers in the region. Tigray freedom fighters told Reuters the school was being used as a temporary shelter for people who had been displaced by an ongoing civil war between conflicting factions of the Ethiopian government.

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One of the aid workers said the school safehouse was on a list of sites sanctioned by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

A letter from the Tigray public relations office estimated the number of airstrike deaths to be least 65, Reuters reported. Despite this, Ethiopian military officials would not comment on the death toll, or even confirm the attack happened.

This is the second time in under a week the town of Adi Daero has come under siege; a Sept. 30 airstrike killed at least five civilians and injured 16 more, per The Associated Press.

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.