Ethiopian federal forces carried out multiple drone strikes Monday morning in Merewa, Raya Alamata district in Southern Tigray, in the latest reported military escalation between Addis Ababa and Tigrayan forces.
In a letter dated August 10, 2026, addressed to diplomatic missions and international partners, Tigray’s regional authorities said multiple drone strikes hit the area at approximately 8:00 a.m., resulting in casualties and property damage.
UMD Media has not independently verified the authenticity of the letter, the reported casualties and damage, or who was responsible for the alleged strikes.
In the letter, regional authorities accused the federal government of carrying out sustained drone surveillance and military preparations around Tigray, warning that the latest reported incident could further escalate tensions and potentially lead to a broader conflict.
The federal government had not immediately responded to the specific allegations concerning the reported strikes in Merewa.
Monday’s reported attack comes after a series of increasingly serious military incidents.
In early June, residents reported drone strikes around Gemehalo and Tekemati near Sheraro, close to the Eritrean border. Residents told media that explosions began at approximately 11:30 p.m. and continued for nearly two hours, with indications that military vehicles or positions may have been targeted. Casualties were not independently established.
Tensions escalated further around Shererina in early August, when federal and Tigrayan forces reportedly engaged in direct fighting.
Accounts from the two sides remain sharply contradictory, and reliable independent information on casualties, territorial changes and the precise sequence of events remains scarce.
The Tigray regional government says federal forces attacked Tigray Security Forces at Shererina and that the offensive was halted after the attacking forces suffered heavy losses.
That account has not been independently verified, and publicly available information remains insufficient to establish which side initiated the confrontation or the scale of losses.
The reported Merewa strikes therefore mark another escalation, from months of drone surveillance and intermittent strikes around Sheraro, to direct confrontation around Shererina, and now alleged drone attacks on the southern front in Raya Alamata.
The developments are raising renewed concern over the durability of the November 2022 Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, which ended the two-year Tigray war.
Earlier this year, growing military deployments, drone activity and political tensions had already prompted international warnings that Tigray was moving dangerously close to renewed conflict.
Originally published on UMD Media Facebook on 2026-08-10T11:30:00-06:00. Source: https://www.facebook.com/getachew.UMDMedia