Eight Killed In Afar As Djibouti Drones Target Armed Groups On Border: Local Officials

Eight more injured

Eight civilians have been killed in the Afar Regional State as the Djiboutian government reportedly carried out a drone attack on armed groups near its border with Ethiopia. Eight more were injured during the attack on January 30, 2025, according to local officials.

The attacks in Kiyaru Kebele, Elidar Woreda in the Awsi Rasu zone. Kiyaru straddles the Ethio-Djibouti Border and is Situated between Assab and Galfi.

An agreement between the two countries designates a five kilometer radius on either side of the border as a free zone. The free zone is often used by armed groups engaged in conflict with the government of Djibouti, according to local sources.

“On the evening of January 30, 2025, drones launched attacks on the border areas. We, officials from the woreda and zone, arrived in the area the following morning. We are only able to go up to the final border demarcation. When we arrived, the locals were burying the dead. Five are buried on our soil, while three are buried on the border,” Ibrahim Mohammed, government communication bureau head at Elidar Woreda, told The Reporter.

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Five of the deceased are youths between fifteen and 20 years of age, while the rest are women between 25 and 30, according to Ibrahim.

He stated that the remnants of weapons found in the areas, as well as other evidence, points towards a drone attack.

“Based on our information, and that of locals, the Djiboutian government has conducted searches for insurgents near the border area and in the same kebele before. Therefore, we concluded the attack was done by the Djiboutian government,” said Ibrahim.

Despite the talk of insurgents, only the bodies of civilians were discovered in the area following the attack.

Local officials say there has not been a response from higher levels of government as of Friday night. Neither have further investigations been conducted.

“We have reported the issue to the Afar regional administration, which in turn reported to the federal government. We hope the security forces of the federal government will come and investigate what happened soon,” said Ibrahim. “In the meantime, we are trying to calm the locals. They are largely pastoralists. We are trying to raise awareness about the buffer zone agreements.”

Videos of locals burying the dead have been making the rounds on social media. Three of the civilians who sustained injuries have been admitted to Dubti Hospital for treatment.