BBC Amharic - A “heavy artillery attack” on a monastery in Mehal Sayint in Amhara Region left six people killed
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BBC Amharic - A “heavy artillery attack” on a monastery in Mehal Sayint in Amhara Region left six people killed
March 10, 2026
A "heavy artillery attack” on the Ris Adibarat Wetaika Negesat Atronse Maryam Monastery located in Mehal Sayint District of South Wollo Zone in Amhara Region left six people killed and more than 20 other people injured according to the monastery’s administrator and eyewitnesses who spoke to BBC.
On the morning of Saturday, March 7, 2026 (Yekatit 28, 2018 EC) at around 9:30 am “a mortar attack was carried out” said Ris Adibarat Wetaika Negesat Atronse Maryam Monastery administrator Mekbib Aba Gebreegziabher Hailemariam.
The attack struck after mass that day leaving monks, deacons and religious students in the monastery killed said the monastery’s administrator.
Meri Geta Simur whose father was killed in the attack told BBC “when I heard screams from the church I ran and found him like that. I saw many bodies...I retrieved the bodies and handed them to their family members” he said.
The monastery’s administrator explained, that the monastery’s spiritual leader (Meri Geta), religious students and an elderly woman who had gone to the monastery carrying an offering for a memorial service marking the anniversary of a deceased “had their legs and hands severed” and the parish security lost their “eyes and legs.”
Additionally over 21 people “struck by artillery shrapnel” were wounded said the administrator. He said the victims were receiving treatment in hospitals in the woreda and in Dessie City.
The attack was carried out after mass when church servants were gathered for offerings and the persons who suffered injuries were priests, monks, abinet students, and deacons.
“I am currently the only one in the parish. There were no less than 100 servants” said Aba Gebreegziabher, who further explained the absent servants had “fled” and other servants were receiving medical care.
The monastery’s administrator also said the church hall, church tin and worshipper homes were damaged.
BBC spoke to a local resident and eyewitness who said their spouse’s father was among those killed in the attack.
“After mass mortar fire from Guameda towards Atronse killed six people. Over 28 people suffered severe injuries” they said.
They added, of the people injured in the attack “half had their hands severed, the other half had their legs severed, others lost their eyesight.”
Among them over 10 people sustained “moderate injuries” they said.
The killed persons sustained severe bodily injuries which made it difficult to identify them said the eyewitness.
The monastery’s administrator said “we retrieved their bodies in pieces. We did not find their bodies intact” he said.
“The militants in this area do not have these types of weapons, nor could they possess them” said eyewitnesses who said the attack was likely carried out by “security forces” in the area.
BBC was unable to independently verify whether the attack was carried out by Fano militants or state forces which operate in the area.
There has been no public comment regarding the attack from regional or federal state authorities. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has not provided any public notice regarding damages to the monastery or resulting casualties in South Wollo Zone. South Wollo Zone officials did not respond to BBC’s requests for comments.
The attack was carried out in an area adjoining Mehal Sayint, Ajibar and Mekane Selam Districts, and the heavy artillery was fired “from Guameda located just down from Ajibar” according to eyewitnesses.
According to eyewitnesses National Army Forces (ENDF) were stationed in “Jimir Hospital” and the “professional and technical school” in Ajibar, and eyewitnesses said “they left Ajibar, and fired from rural kebeles in Guameda located just below.”
The monastery’s administrator said “the weapon of war came down from Ajibar.”
The monastery’s administrator Mekbib Aba Gebreegziabher who was there at the time of the attack said “three rounds were fired. The first landed beneath us on the plateau. The second passed through. The third struck directly on the parish” he said.
He told BBC the persons killed in the attack were Mekbib Aba Moges Fisseha (parish lector), deacon Kenafergib Andarge (lector of the day), Emahoy Dinqe Takele (parish custodian), deacon Belete Aschalew (lector that day), deacon Beaman Gebremariam (religious student) and deacon Ayemer Mersha (lector that day).
On March 8, 2026 (Yekatit 29, 2018 EC) burials were held for three of the victims in the monastery.
The monastery’s administrator said “we do not know” why the attack took place and “we only saw heavy artillery massacring us...we only know that we were carrying out the Will of God by praying for peace in Ethiopia and the world. We did not expect to suffer harm and damages” he explained.
Eyewitnesses on their end said the monastery was surrounded by forests, “I suspect the attack was carried out deliberately under the belief militants could be in the forest” he said.
Since the attack on Saturday, March 7, 2026 (Yekatit 28, 2016 EC) “consecutive gunfire” took place in the Mehal Sayint area, they said.
Prior to this, on December 10, 2023 (Hedar 30, 2016 EC) two drone attacks carried out in Mehal Sayint District of South Wollo Zone had left a significant number of people killed according to residents who spoke to BBC.
The full extent of the toll resulting from drone attacks in the Mesalemiya and Qeye Washa areas of the zone have not been confirmed, however at least 40 people were killed according to five residents who spoke to BBC.
In the war between state forces and Fano militants in Amhara Region which is coming to the end of its third year, attacks on civilians and damages to various institutions have long been reported by rights groups.
Such kinds of attacks on places of worship were previously rare, making the heavy artillery attack on the church in Mehal Sayint unprecedented and horrific according to five eyewitnesses who spoke to BBC.
The attack resulted in loss of life and bodily injuries at the Ris Adibarat Wetaika Negesat Atronse Maryam Monastery, located in Mehal Sayint District of South Wollo Zone in Amhara Region, which is considered a historic monastery according to Mehal Sayint District Communications.
