By Staff, Agencies

At least 16 civilians were killed and 22 others injured on Thursday after a drone strike targeted a camp housing people displaced by conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region, according to local media reports and conflict monitors.

The attack struck the Hayiq Jari 2 Turk displacement camp near the town of Hayiq, approximately 430 kilometers [267 miles] northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa. Among those killed were three pregnant women, an eight-year-old girl and several students, according to local residents.

A witness told Ethiopian news outlet Addis Standard that the drone struck the camp at least five times, with approximately 15-minute intervals between attacks, while displaced families were inside their shelters.

"We never expected a drone to attack the camp," the witness said.

Conflict monitoring organization Frontlines Ethiopia also documented the October 29 attack, while other local accounts reported that both drone strikes and artillery fire hit the area.

Residents said more than 20 shelters caught fire, forcing families to flee and resulting in children becoming separated from their relatives.

The injured were initially transported to Hayiq Hospital, while those in critical condition were transferred to Dessie Hospital for specialized medical treatment.

The camp accommodates more than 1,800 internally displaced people, many of whom fled violence in the Oromia region, particularly the Wollega area.

The latest attack has further worsened the humanitarian situation for displaced families already struggling with shortages of food, medicine and adequate shelter following reductions in humanitarian assistance.

The Amhara region has experienced prolonged armed clashes between Ethiopian federal security forces and Fano militias since 2023, with military operations, including drone attacks, increasingly affecting civilian communities.

The violence is unfolding amid wider instability across Ethiopia, including renewed clashes in the northern Tigray region and growing tensions with neighboring Eritrea.