NAIROBI (Reuters – The government was accused by rebellious northern Ethiopian troops of launching air attacks on Tigray’s capital on Monday. But, the government refuted the claims.

Tigrai TV controlled by Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front, northern region (TPLF), reported that the attack against Mekelle resulted in several deaths.

Reuters was also informed by a resident, as well as an international aid worker and a local doctor that there had been an attacker. One diplomat from Ethiopia sent photos of the scene, which included bloody pools and broken windows.

None of the participants requested to be identified. Reuters was unable to confirm that the photos were authentic.

Legesse Tulu is the spokesperson for Ethiopia’s government and denies that it launched any attacks. “Why would Ethiopia attack its own capital?” He said that Mekelle was an Ethiopian town.

Legesse said that terrorists attack civilians living in cities. Legesse accused the TPLF in killing civilians during fighting in Afar, a neighboring region.

Reuters could not verify the accounts from an area which is closed to journalists.

“I WAS A FEW METRES AWAY”

Tigray was ravaged by war between the Ethiopian army and the TPLF political party, which controls the region. This engulfed thousands of civilians and drove more than 2,000,000 to flee the country.

Initially, Tigrayan troops were attacked but eventually recaptured the majority of the region. In July, they moved into neighbouring Amhara or Afar areas, displace hundreds of thousands more.

Diplomats worry that new fighting could further destabilize Ethiopia (a country of 109 millions people) and increase hunger in Tigray, the region around it.

A Mekelle resident said that Monday’s strike occurred near a city market, just after noon GMT (1000 GMT).

A resident claimed that she saw them from just metres away and thought they’d hit our compound.

One doctor from the area said that they had heard the first attack Monday morning. “First, I heard the sound of a jet as well as an explosion far away.

“Then, in the afternoon there were two sounds that seemed to be closer. “This one seemed to have happened in the city,” said the doctor.

TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda tweeted: “#AbiyAhmed’s ‘Air Force’ sent its bomber jet to attack civilian targets in& outside #Mekelle,” referring to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.