Three employees of international medical charity killed in Ethiopia's Tigray

Three employees of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation of French origin, were killed in Ethiopia's war-torn northern Tigray region on Friday, confirmed the organisation in a statement.

Bangkok Post reported that one Spanish and two Ethiopian employees of the medical charity MSF have been "brutally murdered" in the Tigray region.

The Spanish victims identified as 35-year-old aid coordinator Maria Hernandez from Madrid who started working with MSF in 2015 in the Central African Republic and had since worked in Yemen, Mexico and Nigeria.

The other two victims were Yohannes Halefom Reda, a 31-year-old coordination assistant who had joined MSF in February, and Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael, also 31, who had been a driver for the charity since May.

According to a statement issued on Friday: "The trio was travelling yesterday (June 24) afternoon when we lost contact with them. This morning (June 25), their vehicle was found empty and a few metres away, their lifeless bodies. The organisation further expressed condolences and stated: No words can truly convey all our sadness, shock and outrage against this horrific attack."

According to Bangkok Post, the conflict in Tigray began in November, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops in to oust the dissident regional leadership, promising a swift victory.

But the fighting continues nearly eight months later and has triggered a humanitarian crisis which the United Nations warns has left 350,000 people on the brink of famine.

UN acting Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ramesh Rajasingham was outraged by the killing of three staff members of Doctors Without Borders in Tigray.

"Reports that three Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders) staff members have been killed in Tigray are outrageous and saddening," he said in a statement.

"I strongly condemn all attacks directed against humanitarian workers. Humanitarian workers, like all civilians, must be respected and protected. Authorities must now promptly investigate these reports of serious violations of international humanitarian law," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )