 Abreha had declared that he would not submit to the Dejazmach.During the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, the Italians are said to have attacked Ethiopian soldiers near the town with shells releasing mustard gas, with instances of Italians using chemical weapons use at Korem recorded for March 16-18, and April 4-7, 1936.More certain are the reports that three planes of Ethiopian Red Cross, sitting on the airstrip at Korem, were destroyed b18y Italian fighters.