Key facts
- Ethiopia's army claims it repelled attacks from Tigrayan forces and allies in northern Ethiopia.
- The army stated it inflicted heavy casualties and seized weapons.
- Fighting began in an area of Amhara region near the border with Tigray.
- Tigrayan forces seized control of three airports from federal police on Wednesday.
- TPLF vice-president Amanuel Assefa stated, "We are in the situation of full-blown war now."
- Ethiopian Airlines cancelled all flights to Tigray.
Ethiopia's army announced on Thursday it had repelled attacks from Tigrayan forces and their allies in parts of the north, marking its first statement since fighting broke out on Wednesday. The army stated that hostilities began in an area of the Amhara region close to the border with Tigray, and that its soldiers had inflicted heavy casualties and seized weapons.
Tensions between the federal government and Tigrayan leaders have sharply escalated in recent days, fueling fears of a renewed devastating civil war. On Wednesday, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) seized control of three airports from federal police. The TPLF has not commented on the army's claims.
There are unconfirmed reports that TPLF forces have launched attacks in the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara. A humanitarian source in Afar told AFP news agency on Thursday that Tigrayan forces had launched heavy artillery attacks as they attempted to take control of the town of Yallo, near the border with Tigray. "We are in the situation of full-blown war now," TPLF vice-president Amanuel Assefa was quoted by the news agency as saying.
The latest escalation follows months of rising tensions between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and Tigray authorities, who fought a devastating war from 2020 to 2022. That conflict ended in an African Union-brokered peace deal, but both sides have recently accused each other of violating the agreement. The AU's mediator estimated some 600,000 people died in that war.
On Sunday, the TPLF announced an alliance with six other armed groups to oust the government. Following the seizure of the airports, Ethiopian Airlines cancelled all flights to Tigray. Residents of Tigray's main city of Mekelle told the BBC that local forces had taken over control of the city's airport from the national police early on Wednesday. This followed reports of drone strikes in Tigray in recent days.
A Mekelle resident, identified as Fitsum for his safety, told the BBC's Newsday programme on Thursday that there had been no clashes in the city itself, unlike in the previous war, with most fighting happening elsewhere. "Mekelle is calm, except the stress from the people," Fitsum said, adding that the biggest problem was economic, with people not having enough cash. He noted that civil servants had not received budgets for months and banks were running out of cash, with people relying on mobile banking but fearing communication cutoffs. With the outbreak of war, people were limiting their movements and the city was quiet, "it's like a curfew has been placed," he told the BBC.