Drone Strike in Adigrat
On Oct 16, 2022, a Facebook post appeared sharing two images to support a claim that there was a drone attack in Adigrat and other surrounding areas in the northeastern parts of Tigray targeting civilians. The post was shared over 142 times across the platform at the time.
The TPLF forces stated on Aug 24, 2022, that the federal government had launched attacks against its armed forces in the southern Tigray areas. It further announced that the primary intention of the attacks by the federal government was to launch integrated attacks on the western front.
Some weeks ago a battle between the Ethiopian federal government-led forces and TPLF forces in areas near the town of Shire, such as Adiyabo, was reported.
There was a claim that Eritrean forces were advancing into Tigray via Adigrat.
Amid this, a Facebook post appeared on Oct 16, 2022, sharing two images to support a claim that there was a drone attack in Adigrat and other surrounding areas in the Northeastern parts of Tigray targeting civilians.
However, the images don’t prove the claim. The first image was taken from a movie Eye in the Sky released in 2015. The image was used by different sites at different times in discussion about the movie.
Therefore, HaqCheck rated the post as False due to its usage of inaccurate images.
Axum under the control of Ethiopian armed forces
On Oct 20, 2022, a Facebook group posted an image claiming Axum and Selekleka are controlled by the allied forces. This Facebook group has above eighty thousand members.
The claim came out after reports that several towns in Tigray including Shire town fell into the hands of Ethiopian armed forces.
However, Haqcheck looked into the image and confirmed that the picture doesn’t prove the claim.
The image was first posted on Feb 19, 2022, by a website called Tghat.
Therefore, HaqCheck proved that the post was false due to the use of an irrelevant image.
Ethiopian Air Force throwing out flyers in Tigray
On Oct 15, 2022, a Facebook page posted an image claiming the Ethiopian Air Force dropped flyers regarding the ongoing war between the federal government and the Tigray region. The post also said the flyers had a message that the war is over and the people shouldn’t send their children to the TPLF army.
The claim emerged as the Ethiopian federal-led armed forces advanced to the capital city of the Tigray region and took control of many towns in the regional state.
However, HaqCheck looked into the image and confirmed that the picture doesn’t prove the claim. The image was first posted on May 22, 2016, by the well-known media company Insider. It shows a Russian Su-30 gliding through the air during a test flight.
Therefore, HaqCheck proved that the post was false due to the use of an irrelevant image.
Recommendations
Social media influencers and content creators should abstain from disseminating false and controversial information on social media platforms.
HaqCheck recommends social media users be conscious of the origin and intention of unverified information. They should question the authenticity of the information before they share it with others.
We urge government entities to offer sufficient and timely information to the public and the media. Moreover, the belligerents of the armed conflict in northern Ethiopia the country should give timely updates.