Ethiopia carried out fresh airstrikes on the capital of the dissident northern Tigray region, the second attack in three days, as government forces look to end a civil war that's lasted almost a year.
The latest assault on Mekelle was aimed at armament construction and repair sites, Selamawit Kassa, State Minister at the Ministry of Communication, said by phone on Wednesday. The regionally-controlled TV broadcaster had earlier carried footage of clouds of smoke billowing over the center of the city. No casualties have been reported.
The previous aerial bombardment on Monday targeted federal communication and security equipment that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office said had been misappropriated by the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
The attack “has once again targeted residential quarters in Mekelle, causing injury to civilians and harm to property,” TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda posted on Twitter.
The airstrikes follow a week of escalated fighting that's come as part of a renewed push by Abiy's military to peg back its opponent. The conflict has left millions in need of aid and soured Ethiopia's reputation as one of Africa's hottest investment destinations.
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