Tigray Fighting Kills at Least 52 Civilians as Government Forces Advance on Alamata

At least 52 civilians have been killed in three days of intense combat around Alamata in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, according to hospital sources who spoke to the BBC. The reported deaths underscore the severity of a conflict that has reignited fears of a return to full-scale war in a region still recovering from a devastating civil conflict that ended less than four years ago.

The fighting, which erupted last week after months of mounting tensions, appears to have shifted the balance of territorial control. Government troops are believed to have seized Alamata from regional fighters and are reportedly preparing to advance north toward Mekelle, Tigray's main city. Social media footage circulating online shows army tanks and armored vehicles moving through the town's streets, suggesting a significant military mobilization.

A doctor at Alamata General Hospital, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, told the BBC that the clashes occurred between Saturday and Monday and involved heavy explosives and artillery fire. Some of the ordnance landed on residential homes. Among the dead were children, including one just three days old, as well as mothers and cattle herders. In a single strike on the town's marketplace, twelve people were killed, the medic said.

The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières reported that more than 700 wounded people have been admitted to hospitals it supports across Tigray over the past few days. The influx of casualties places additional strain on a healthcare system that has struggled to recover from the previous conflict.

The renewed hostilities stem from a breakdown in the fragile peace established by a 2022 agreement that ended a two-year civil war. Both the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs Tigray, have accused each other of violating that deal. The TPLF claims it was responding to a federal offensive that included drone strikes, while the government asserts that Tigrayan forces attacked first after seizing control of airports in the region.

Communications to Tigray have been severed, making it difficult for journalists and aid organizations to verify events on the ground. Banking services have been suspended by the government, and internet access has been cut, though it remains unclear who ordered the shutdown. The BBC is unable to report from Tigray and surrounding areas.

A separate source in Alamata described a worsening humanitarian crisis as the town swells with people fleeing the violence. "All the residents of the surrounding areas entered the town of Alamata by walking on foot for as long as an hour, hoping the town would be safe," the source told the BBC. "Unfortunately, everything is blocked - no banking service, no money transfer, no power, no internet, no phone. Hence people are in crisis, simply suffering, everyone is desperate and frustrated."

The conflict has also spread to neighboring regions. In the Amhara region, 33 tourists have been stranded for the past week in Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its 13th-century rock-hewn churches and a holy site for millions of Orthodox Christians. A British tourist, who asked not to be named, told the BBC's Newsday program that fighting, gunfire, and artillery cannons had been heard throughout the week near the town.

Most visitors to Lalibela have been unable to leave since the airport closed to commercial flights last Wednesday. The tourist said 14 Israeli visitors had been evacuated by military helicopter on Monday. When the airport first closed, 53 tourists were in the town, but some have since departed, including five who left via an NGO convoy despite advice against traveling by road.

The remaining tourists in Lalibela include the largest group of Americans, along with Israelis, Britons, a South Korean, South Africans, an Ethiopian-New Zealander, and a Mexican, according to the British tourist. He noted that the situation around the town had calmed in the last two days and that there were indications the airport, still being used by the military, might reopen on Thursday. However, he added that local people remain fearful, and a larger military force has been seen leaving the town heading north.

The fighting around Lalibela has involved the Ethiopian army and an Amhara militia that has allied with Tigrayan fighters. In September, these forces joined other Ethiopian armed movements to form a seven-member alliance with the stated goal of removing the government in Addis Ababa. The TPLF is also fighting in the Afar region, a strategically vital area that connects landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti and its ports.

There are growing concerns that neighboring Eritrea could be drawn into the conflict. The Ethiopian government has accused Asmara of supporting the armed groups, a charge Eritrea denies. The involvement of external actors could further destabilize an already volatile situation in the Horn of Africa.

For those cut off in Tigray due to the telecommunications shutdown, the Tigray Broadcasting Service (TBS), based in Addis Ababa, has launched an initiative to help reconnect families. The broadcaster plans to collect video messages via its Telegram channel from people outside the region and air them via satellite TV, though the effort is limited to greetings and short messages.

The international community has yet to respond forcefully to the escalating violence. Humanitarian organizations warn that the combination of active combat, communication blackouts, and restricted access is creating conditions for a severe humanitarian emergency. With thousands already displaced and hospitals overwhelmed, the need for a ceasefire and unimpeded aid access has become increasingly urgent.

The 2022 peace agreement was meant to bring lasting stability to Tigray after a war that killed hundreds of thousands and left millions in need of assistance. The current trajectory suggests those gains are rapidly unraveling, and without decisive diplomatic intervention, the region risks sliding back into a broader conflict with devastating consequences for civilians caught in the middle.