Amnesty International says hundreds of civilians were killed amid military clashes in Ethiopia

Amnesty International says it's likely hundreds of civilians were killed in northern Ethiopia on Monday, after fighting broke out in the Tigray region between government forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

The massacre took place in the city of Mai Kadra, and it appears the victims were laborers who had nothing to do with the conflict, BBC News reports. Witnesses told Amnesty International the victims were hacked to death at the hands of forces loyal to the TPLF; the TPLF has denied being connected to the attack. Because phone lines and the internet are down in Tigray, it's not entirely clear what is happening in the region, and news is slow to get out.

The TPLF controls Tigray, and tensions have been high since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018 and curbed the TPLF's influence. Following attacks against military camps last week, the prime minister ordered airstrikes against forces loyal to the TPLF, and there have been several clashes between the two sides. Thousands of people who have fled from Tigray to escape the violence are now being housed in a refugee camp in Sudan.

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