At least six people have been killed and more than 20 others injured following a heavy artillery attack on a historic monastery in the Mehal Sayint District of South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.
The attack targeted the Ris Adibarat Wetaika Negesat Atronse Maryam Monastery on the morning of Saturday, March 7, 2026, at approximately 9:30 AM, shortly after the conclusion of a morning mass. Among those killed and wounded were monks, deacons, and religious students present at the site at the time of the strike.
The monastery’s administrator, Mekbib Aba Gebreegziabher Hailemariam, confirmed the mortar attack, describing the devastation that followed the religious service. One eyewitness, whose father perished in the strike, recounted discovering multiple bodies on the monastery grounds and helping to return the remains to their families.
Witnesses and local sources reported that continuous gunfire continued in the Mehal Sayint area in the days following the initial assault.
Eyewitnesses described the attack as unprecedented, noting that strikes on places of worship of this nature have historically been rare in the region, making this incident particularly alarming.
The attack comes amid the ongoing armed conflict between Ethiopian federal forces and the Fano militia in the Amhara Region, a conflict that began in April 2023 after the government attempted to dissolve the Amhara Special Forces as part of a broader plan to centralize the country’s security apparatus. Rights organizations have long documented civilian casualties throughout the conflict, but attacks on religious sites have drawn particular condemnation.
This is not the first such tragedy in the South Wollo Zone. In December 2023, two separate drone strikes in the Mesalemiya and Qeye Washa areas reportedly killed at least 40 people, according to local residents.
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the monastery attack. The Ethiopian government had not issued a public statement at the time of reporting.
Sources: Addis Standard, BBC Amharic
