It was bombed in mid-November 2020, then shelled by artillery fire a few weeks later, resulting in heavy destruction of property and multiple civilian deaths.

[3] As people hid in their houses, 14 civilians[4] were killed in the bombing that involved the intervention of the Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) and "Pterosaurus" drones, launched by the United Arab Emirates from its base in Assab in Eritrea.

[4] Many residents responded by fleeing into nearby mountains; some recorded footage of the town's destruction on their cellphones.

After that, EDF soldiers spent days looting homes, banks and factories, while also killing dozens of young men they suspected of sympathizing with Tigrayan rebel fighters.

[9] Factories in Wukro were still in a state of significant disrepair by late April 2023, with the EFFORT-owned Saba Stones and Sheba Leather being completely destroyed by the war.