There were various reports on social media over the weekend claiming that a drone had struck the Ethiopian Air Force base in Bishoftu, about 40 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa. How much of the story is true?

Ethiopia Observer spoke to people familiar with what happened at the base, and accounts indicate that an incident did occur there between Saturday night and Sunday morning. The incident reportedly began with a small, short-range drone that exploded inside the airbase. According to people familiar with the incident, there were no casualties from the initial explosion. Nevertheless, the blast caused considerable alarm inside the facility. It was the first time that a drone had exploded inside the base, and personnel were caught off guard by the incident.

Personnel at the base reportedly went on alert amid concerns that the initial blast might not have been an isolated incident. The possibility of another drone attack prompted preparations to move the military helicopters from their exposed positions into a hangar.

As the helicopters were being prepared for movement, Kassahun Lema, a senior pilot, was reportedly called to assist with the operation, accompanied by another technician. The two were standing in the area when a second drone, described by sources as another small, short-range drone, suddenly exploded at the base. Kassahun was killed in the blast, while the technician was wounded. A third person, a cook working in the area, was also injured.

Accounts obtained by Ethiopia Observer differ from initial reports of a single long-range drone launched from Tigray, instead describing two separate incidents involving small, short-range drones.

Many social media posts linked the incident to the newly established Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival (AFS), a coalition of armed groups formed on September 20, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and the Amhara Fano National Movement. The claim, however, has not been independently verified, and Ethiopian authorities have not publicly confirmed the attack.

People familiar with events describe two explosions involving drones so small they could potentially have been launched from private residences or other nearby locations.

All the same, the incident appears to point to a significant shift in Ethiopia’s evolving drone warfare: the federal military may no longer have an uncontested monopoly over the use of unmanned aircraft in the country. Even relatively small, short-range drones, if readily available and difficult to detect, can pose a new security challenge to military installations previously considered relatively secure.

The development is notable given the Ethiopian government’s rapid expansion of its drone capabilities in recent years. Drones played a decisive role in helping turn the tide against Tigrayan forces as they advanced toward Addis Ababa in 2021. Since then, Ethiopia has sought to build a domestic drone industry, with two drone factories established and a fleet believed to number in the thousands.