Ethiopia confirms Tigray airstrike, says fighters targeted

Ethiopia’s military has confirmed it was responsible for a deadly airstrike on a busy marketplace in the country’s Tigray region

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Ethiopia’s military on Thursday confirmed it was responsible for a deadly airstrike on a busy marketplace in the country’s Tigray region that locals say killed dozens of civilians, but the military insisted that only combatants were targeted. A spokesman, Col. Getnet Adane, told journalists that fighters supporting the Tigray region’s former leaders had assembled to celebrate Martyrs’ Day on Tuesday when the airstrike occurred. “The Ethiopian air force uses the latest technology, so it conducted a precision strike that was successful,” he said. He didn’t comment when reached for further details. The airstrike in the village of Togoga killed at least 51 people and left 33 missing and more than 100 wounded, a regional health official told The Associated Press. Children were among the victims, other health workers said, adding that Ethiopian forces blocked some medical teams from responding and shot at a Red Cross ambulance trying to reach the scene. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.