More than 50 church students studying at Kidane Mehret Church in the town of Alamata were reportedly abducted by fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Deutsche Welle Amharic reported, citing sources on the ground. The radio station cited witnesses as saying the students were severely beaten and that many armed fighters were involved in the incident.

The learning center, which accommodates around 700 students, and the thatched cottages where students slept were all burned down, the students told DW. One of the students, who was detained but later released, told DW that he did not know where the other detainees had been taken. He added that they were told they would be given military training.

The town’s mayor, Moges Hailu—who was appointed by the TPLF a few months ago—said the learning center and cottages were burned down during a dispute between individuals, adding that authorities are investigating the incident and have detained suspects. He said the incident began as a disagreement between church students and a resident, which escalated into a physical altercation. During the clash, students reportedly beat a young man with sticks. The injured youth later returned and, according to the mayor, set fire to a hut belonging to the students, completely destroying it. The mayor added that the suspected perpetrator has since been taken into custody and is under investigation. He also said that several students have been arrested for questioning.

Alamata is a town in a disputed area between the Amhara and Tigray regions. The town and the surrounding Raya Alamata area were under Tigray administration until the war broke out in 2020, after which they came under the control of Amhara forces. Following the recent resurgence of fighting a few months ago, Tigray forces have advanced into parts of the district and taken control of the town.