BBC Amharic - A drone attack on a health center in North Wollo left four civilians killed and 10 people injured say eyewitnesses
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- Oct 1
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Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from BBC Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
BBC Amharic - A drone attack on a health center in North Wollo left four civilians killed and 10 people injured say eyewitnesses
September 30, 2025
On Saturday, September 27, 2025 (Meskerem 17, 2018 EC) a drone attack on a health center in Gubalafto Woreda of North Wollo Zone in Amhara Region left four civilians killed including a pregnant mother and left more than 10 other people with injuries say eyewitnesses and medical sources who spoke to BBC.
The attack was carried out in a cluster town called Sanqa located 20 km from the zonal and woreda capital city of Woldia and targeted the health center at around noon according to four eyewitnesses and local residents.
The zonal administrator told BBC he was unable to speak about the attack and the resulting casualties.
One professional who was in the area of the health center said the shell landed in front of room number 5 where patients were receiving treatment.
A worker from the health center who survived the attack described the attack’s as sudden saying “I was disoriented, it seemed the ground itself opened up and swallowed us all. When the people beside me fell I must have been protected by God” they said explaining their account.
Another eyewitness who says they rushed to the area after hearing the explosion says a family member of theirs who was inside the health center survived the attack, and told BBC they saw a horrific circumstance.
Because of the confusion and fear of another attack “everyone was running blindly ... even the bleeding and the struck victims ran out carrying each other” they said describing the incident.
Another eyewitness who said they retrieved injured persons and bodies said the situation they witnessed was difficult to describe.
“The shrapnel was like sand, it burned like fire” said a health center worker who survived, who added that the health center was severely damaged “numbers five to seven are no longer there” they said explaining that the center’s rooms had been demolished.
BBC has reviewed photographs and video of damages sustained by the health center however it was not possible to independently verify them.
A health center professional told BBC they saw four patients and their caretakers lose their lives with their “eyes watching.”
Three of them were parents of children receiving care.
Two eyewitnesses said they saw three people lose their lives immediately, among the killed were a mother and father who were having their “children treated” and the other victim who lost their life after reaching a hospital was a father of a patient receiving treatment for over two months at the center.
The health professional told BBC that the fourth killed victim was a pregnant woman who had come to the health center to deliver a baby.
“There was a mother who died while in the maternity room. One pregnant woman had given birth, and another was giving birth while the woman was killed. We heard the maternity nurse sustained an injury to his hand.”
Witnesses said more than 10 people sustained injuries in the attack including a six-year-old child of one of the health workers.
Among the injured persons were eight health center professionals, two days later on Monday when roads were reopened the injured were taken to Woldia Hospital.
Six people were admitted to Woldia Hospital for care including the health center’s sanitary worker and three persons who sustained severe injuries received surgery according to BBC’s sources.
Residents said there was no fighting between state forces and Fano forces in the city when the attack took place, however there had been intense fighting in areas surrounding Woldia especially in an area called Tiqur Wiha.
Residents said there had been Fano forces wounded from that battle admitted to Sanqa health center, one health professional confirmed to BBC that there had been “about 10” Fano fighters taken to the health center to receive treatment.
The health center worker and other residents told BBC that they suspect the attack likely targeted wounded Fano fighters receiving treatment.
They said the attack killed an estimated six Fano fighters who were receiving care and that their burial was held in the area.
BBC spoke to North Wollo Zone peace and security deputy head Ato Feleke Getinet about the attack to which he responded he was “unable to confirm” the attack or the resulting casualties.
“At this time the enemy (Fano forces) are operating in the area. In order to address the questions of ‘what took place there?’ and ‘what were the resulting casualties?’ we must gather information from locals” he said affirming he was unable to confirm whether the attack even took place.
Starting from last week Fano forces announced the beginning of an operation spanning across Wollo zones and they reported attaining victories.
Local residents said there had been intense fighting in areas around Woldia city, the administrative capital of North Wollo Zone, which had disrupted movement.
One resident of Woldia city told BBC the two sides had been “facing off” in areas surrounding Woldia.
Ato Feleke said that the operation launched by Fano “is not as large as claimed”, he added fighting had taken place along the “major line” from Bahir Dar to Gonder Mewcha and the Tiqur Wiha area had been closed for days by Fano forces.
Residents have said that Sanqa town, which is near Weldia, has been under the control of Fano forces since the afternoon of Thursday, September 25, 2025 (Meskerem 15, 2018 EC).
Residents of Sanqa say they are in “extreme fear.”
“We have been unable to pick up medication out of fear. Because the drones are circling, yesterday it spent the day flying around. They (Fano forces) are in the area as well. We are confused as to what will happen to us” said one resident describing his circumstance.
Another resident said “people are not going out, they are not moving. It is very frightening. We are in a troublesome situation” they said describing their current situation.
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