On August 26, 2022, an airstrike allegedly from the Ethiopian National Defense Force hit a kindergarten in Tigrayan capital of Mekelle, killing seven people including two children.

An initial Ethiopian government offensive captured Mekelle, the Tigrayan capital, and saw the war escalate into a low-level insurgency.

[3] In 2021, a Tigrayan offensive reached the outskirts of the Ethiopian capital, but ultimately was pushed back.

[1] The Ethiopian government claimed that they had only hit places that they alleged the TPLF was manufacturing or storing arms.

[10] The head of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, issued a message condemning the airstrike and called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities.