At least 15 people, including five children, were killed in a series of drone strikes that struck a displaced persons camp in Ethiopia’s Amhara region on Friday, according to individuals involved in rescue efforts. The camp, known as Jari 2, shelters more than 1,700 civilians who had previously fled violence in the area.

The attack occurred despite a relative lull in the intense clashes that began last month between a coalition of rebels from the northern Tigray region and Ethiopian government forces based in Addis Ababa. Officials have yet to determine who carried out the strikes or the reasons behind targeting the camp.

A community representative assisting with burials reported helping to lay to rest 13 victims at the camp, while two others succumbed to their injuries after being transferred to a hospital in Hayk, a town located about 10 miles from the site of the attack. Rescue workers confirmed that among the deceased were children.

All sources involved in the rescue operations noted there had been no active fighting in the immediate vicinity when the strikes took place. However, forces affiliated with the Amhara Fano National Movement, part of the broader rebel alliance led by fighters from Tigray, were reported to have been nearby.

The drone strikes underscore the ongoing volatility in Ethiopia’s northern regions, where intermittent clashes continue to threaten civilian populations amid a fragile political and military environment. The origins and motives of this latest assault remain under investigation as humanitarian agencies respond to the evolving crisis.