At least 11 civilians were reportedly killed and five others critically wounded in a military operation allegedly carried out by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) on Sunday afternoon in the town of Gedebye, located in the Gondar area of Ethiopia’s Amhara region.
According to local sources cited by Ethiopian Media Services (EMS), uniformed ENDF soldiers stormed homes around 4 p.m., forcibly removing residents before opening fire at close range. Eyewitnesses said the victims included mostly young men, as well as an 80-year-old man and an eight-year-old child. The injured are said to be in critical condition.
The incident is believed to have been triggered by the killing of two federal soldiers by suspected Fano fighters who reportedly infiltrated the area days earlier. However, multiple residents stressed that those targeted in Sunday’s raid had no ties to the Fano militia.
“The soldiers came door to door. They weren’t looking for armed groups — they were taking out civilians,” said one witness, speaking anonymously due to fear of reprisal. Victims were buried Monday morning in the town amid heavy military presence.
As of publication, the Ethiopian Defense Force has not issued an official statement regarding the reported killings. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has also not released any findings or alerts related to the incident.
Over the past two years, the Amhara region has witnessed spiraling violence between federal forces and Fano militias, with civilians often caught in the crossfire. Human rights watchdogs have previously documented numerous incidents of extrajudicial killings and reprisals by both state and non-state actors in the region.
The latest reports from Gedebye have raised fresh concerns about the conduct of federal troops amid ongoing counterinsurgency operations. Calls are growing among local rights groups and diaspora-based organizations for an independent investigation into the alleged massacre and for international observers to monitor the escalating conflict.
DNE Africa will continue to follow developments.
