Explosions Rock Addis Ababa Near Military Headquarters as Ethiopia Conflict Widens
- Loud blasts were heard overnight in Ethiopia's capital, with residents reporting explosions near military and security installations
- The explosions came days after a drone ban was imposed over Addis Ababa and a week after fresh fighting broke out in the north
- Ethiopia also expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, accusing them of threatening national security amid the deepening crisis
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Residents and diplomatic sources reported overnight explosions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, with blasts heard near the military headquarters in the west and in the south of the city.
One resident in the southern Gotera neighbourhood, located close to the base of the secret service, told BBC Amharic:
Source: Getty Images
"It was very loud. It was strong enough to set off car alarms." He estimated the explosion occurred around 00:30 local time (21:30 GMT). A second resident in the western suburb of Torhayloch, near the military headquarters, said he and friends were in the middle of a game when the blast interrupted them.
According to BBC, a source linked to opposition fighters told Reuters they were responsible for what they described as drone strikes on the capital.
The blasts followed a ban on drone flights over Addis Ababa and came roughly a week after fresh fighting broke out in northern Ethiopia between the national army and a newly formed alliance of armed groups that includes forces aligned with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
No official confirmation has been issued regarding the cause, location, or any casualties from the explosions. The office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the defence ministry, and both federal and Addis Ababa police did not respond to BBC requests for comment.
Ethiopia expels Eritrean diplomats
Separately, Ethiopia's foreign ministry announced the closure of its embassy in neighbouring Eritrea and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country, citing "involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia's national security." Eritrea's government had earlier denied, in a BBC interview, that it was supporting the rebel alliance.
The current crisis traces back to months of mounting tensions between the federal government and the TPLF, which both sides accuse each other of having violated a 2022 peace agreement that ended a two-year civil war. An African Union mediator estimated that conflict cost around 600,000 lives.
Last month, seven armed movements, including the TPLF and the Amhara militia known as Fano, formed a coalition with the declared goal of removing the Addis Ababa government. Each side disputes who fired first in the latest round of fighting.
The situation on the ground remains difficult to verify. Internet access and the main telecoms service in Tigray have been cut, and the BBC cannot report directly from the region.
In the southern Tigrayan town of Alamata, a medic told the BBC on Wednesday that 52 civilians had been killed in three days of intense fighting. Tens of thousands of people are also reported to have fled their homes in the neighbouring Afar region, according to AFP.
Fighting has also reached Lalibela in the Amhara region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where foreign tourists have been stranded for more than a week, as national army units and Fano fighters clash in the area.
7 Ethiopian armed groups form alliance to overthrow Abiy Ahmed's government
Legit.ng earlier reported that seven Ethiopian armed groups announced the formation of a coalition called the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival late on Sunday, declaring a shared goal of removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from power.
Source: Legit.ng
