Djibouti security forces launched a drone strike near the Ethiopian border, killing eight members of a rebel group and causing civilian casualties, the country’s defense ministry announced on Sunday.
The attack targeted militants in Addorta, a Djiboutian locality about six kilometers from the Ethiopian border. Authorities stated that the strike was aimed at neutralizing a “terrorist group” engaged in hostile actions posing a threat to military outposts. However, they acknowledged that some civilians were also affected, without specifying the number of casualties.
Presidential advisor Alexis Mohamed identified the militants as members of the Armed Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD A), which the Djiboutian government considers a terrorist organization. The Ethiopian newspaper reported that the strike occurred on Ethiopian soil, but Djibouti refuted the claim, insisting the operation took place within its own territory. Ethiopian authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
FRUD A, which emerged from a broader movement advocating for Afar interests, has a history of armed rebellion against the government. While part of FRUD later joined a coalition supporting President Ismael Omar Guelleh, its armed wing continues to launch attacks.
In 2022, FRUD A was blamed for an attack on a Djiboutian military base in Garabtisan, where seven soldiers were killed and six were kidnapped before being released weeks later.
Djibouti, a strategic nation at the junction of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, hosts key US and French military bases, underscoring its geopolitical importance in the region. Authorities have launched an investigation into the latest strike.