By Stephen Simon
Explosions have been reported in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, amid a renewed escalation of fighting in the country’s northern regions.
Three diplomatic sources told Reuters that blasts were heard overnight, while an opposition alliance fighting government forces claimed responsibility for drone strikes targeting military facilities in the capital.
The claim could not be independently verified, and witnesses reported no visible damage around the military headquarters said to have been targeted.
Ethiopia’s national intelligence service has meanwhile banned drone flights over Addis Ababa and surrounding areas, citing security concerns as the conflict intensifies.
The renewed fighting represents the biggest escalation since the end of Ethiopia’s 2020–2022 civil war and has involved forces linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and allied armed groups.
Tens of thousands of people have reportedly been displaced by fighting in parts of Tigray and Afar, while both government and opposition forces have made competing claims about territorial gains.
The conflict is also raising concerns about wider instability in the Horn of Africa because of Ethiopia’s tense relations with neighbouring Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt, all of which have been accused by Addis Ababa of supporting opposition forces, allegations they deny.
