Mekelle — At least five civilians were injured on Monday after soldiers attempted to arrest the deputy head of the district security office in Mekoni town, Southern Tigray, local officials.
Meselle Ashebir, mayor of Mekoni town, told Addis Standard that the incident occurred in the morning when soldiers attempted to detain Colonel Halefom Mehari, deputy head of the district security office. "When they tried to take him from Mekoni town, the public gathered. It was around 11 a.m., and that's when the shooting started," Meselle said.
Mellesse said two of the wounded, one shot in the neck and another in the leg, were transferred to Ayder Hospital in Mekelle, while the other three were treated at Mekoni Hospital.
Dr. Daniel Berhe, a physician at Mekoni Hospital, confirmed the number of victims to Addis Standard. "Five people were admitted to our hospital. Two were in critical condition and were sent to Mekelle, while the others sustained minor injuries and were treated here," he said.
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According to Meselle, the attempted arrest triggered hundreds of residents to stage peaceful protests, calling for the withdrawal of military forces from the town. "People chanted for the army to leave, saying it is harming civilians. The demonstration remained peaceful," he added.
Responding to the allegations, Colonel Tinsae Birhane, commander of the Tigrayan forces unit in the area, told BBC Tigrigna that the claims against his unit amounted to "defamation." He emphasized, "We are an army that fights for the people, not one that oppresses them."
The Tigray Independence Party accused the authorities of "waging war against the people," insisting that the crisis in Tigray stems from a "system of tyranny," in a statement released yesterday. The party pledged support for what it described as the "people's growing resistance," stating: "Our party remains, as always, on the side of the people's struggle, ensuring that this wave of resistance spreads throughout Tigray."
This is the second incident involving shooting in the south part of Tigray. Earlier this month, the Tigray Interim Administration and Simret Party, a new political party led by former President Getachew Reda, blamed trade over a deadly border attack that left two security force members dead. The interim administration accused Simret of carrying out an armed attack on a Tigray security unit in Mlazat, Southeastern Tigray, bordering the Afar region, which resulted in the death of a member of the Tigray Security Forces. Getachew Reda, responded to the accusations on X (formerly Twitter), calling them "baseless."
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