Ethiopia fighting escalates in Tigray killing 52 civilians, medic tells the BBC

ByMichael Teferi, BBC Africa and Lucy Fleming.

Key points

• Of the remaining tourists in Lalibela, the largest group were Americans, with Israelis, Britons, South Korean, South Africans, an Ethiopian-New Zealander and a Mexican additionally stranded, he stated.
• Over the last few days, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) remarked more than 700 wounded residents had been admitted to hospitals it supports in Tigray.
• At least 52 civilians have been killed during three days of heavy fighting around Alamata in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, hospital sources have informed the BBC.
• Fighting has additionally affected neighbouring regions with 33 tourists stranded for the last week in Lalibela, a Unesco world heritage site.
• The British tourist in Lalibela remarked online banking was working in Lalibela but there was a shortage of physical cash.

It appears administration troops have taken control of the town from regional fighters and intend to push north towards Mekelle, the region's main city. Social media clips show army tanks on Alamata's streets.

Clashes broke out last week after months of tension between the administration and the party that controls Tigray, with both accusing each other of violating a 2022 agreement that concluded a two-year civil war.

"We have heard fighting, gunfire and artillery cannons firing throughout the week, " a British tourist, who asked not to be named, informed the BBC's Newsday programme concerning clashes near Lalibela in the Amhara region.

He remarked there was a substantial military presence in Lalibela, famous for being home to 13th Century churches hewn from rock and a holy site for millions of Orthodox Christians.

Notably, the fighting around the town has involved the army and an Amhara militia that has allied with Tigrayan fighters.

Earlier in September, they joined forces with other Ethiopian armed movements to form a seven-member alliance with the stated intention of removing the administration in the capital, Addis Ababa.

There is additionally a fear that neighbouring Eritrea could be drawn into the conflict – as the administration accuses Asmara of supporting the armed groups, something it denies.

For context, the BBC is unable to report from Tigray and surrounding areas and it is tough to find out what is happening as communications to the region have been cut. The two sides disagree over who began the latest fighting. Are Ethiopians marching back to war in Tigray?

While the administration notes Tigrayan forces attacked first after seizing control of airports in the region, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party that runs Tigray, notes it was responding to a federal offensive, including drone strikes.

TPLF fighters are additionally fighting in the Afar region, in a strategic area which connects landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti and its ports.

For context, the doctor at Alamata General Hospital. This person requested anonymity, informed the BBC the fighting in and around the town had taken place between Saturday and Monday, and involved heavy explosives and artillery, some of which landed in residential homes.

Those killed in the crossfire included children as young as three days old, mothers and cattle herders.

Twelve individuals had died in a single strike on the town's marketplace, the medic stated.

Since the fighting erupted, banking services in Tigray have been suspended by the administration. Access to the internet has additionally been cut – though it is not clear who ordered the closure.

As the town swelled with residents fleeing fighting, a separate source in Alamata informed the BBC there was a worsening humanitarian crisis in the area.

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.

"Unfortunately, everything is blocked – no banking service, no funds transfer, no power, no internet, no phone. Hence individuals are in crisis, simply suffering, everyone is desperate and frustrated."

For context, the British tourist in Lalibela remarked online banking was working in Lalibela but there was a shortage of physical cash.

He remarked the situation around the town had calmed down in the last two days and there were indications the airport. It was still being employed by the military, might reopen on Thursday.

"The local individuals, they are still scared of what might happen. The military presence here in the town has remained and a larger military force has been seen leaving the town heading north, " he remarked.

When the airport was first closed to commercial flights, 53 tourists had been in the town, he explained.

But some had since been evacuated, including 14 Israelis by military helicopter on Monday while another five had left the day before via an NGO convoy, despite advice not to travel by road.

Meanwhile, for those cut off in Tigray since of the telecoms shutdown, the Tigray Broadcasting Service (TBS), based in Addis Ababa, has kicked off an initiative to support reconnect families.

In practice, the broadcaster has remarked it will collect video messages via its Telegram channel from residents outside the region and air them via satellite TV.

While limited to greetings and updates, this will provide a rare lifeline for families separated by the blackout.

Notably, the clampdown on Tigray's banking services is additionally affecting Tigrayans who are not physically in the region.

Customers have informed the BBC that bank accounts opened in Tigray have been frozen or restricted.

"I boarded public transport from Addis Ababa to Adama and tried to pay using a mobile transfer, but it didn't work, " remarked a former Mekelle resident who moved to the capital two months ago as of growing tensions in Tigray.

"It has created havoc for many people like me who escaped the situation in Tigray, " he informed the BBC's Tigrinya service. "Many Tigrayans are now in trouble." Extra reporting by Yemane Nagish and Lion Tsigab. More regarding Ethiopia and Tigray from the BBC.

For context, the young women who fought in Ethiopia's last civil war and don't want to see another one. 'I lost my leg on the way home from school'. Ethiopia PM's party wins landslide as fears grow of new conflict.

Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.

Taken together, the developments around ethiopia fighting escalates in Tigray killing 52 civilians, medic tells the BBC point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.