Explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, raising concerns over a possible attack in the diplomatic hub as fighting between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) intensifies in the north.
Gatekeepers News reports that the blasts came about a week after heavy clashes erupted between the two sides, marking the most significant escalation in Ethiopia since the end of the country’s 2020-2022 civil war.
The renewed violence has raised fears over the durability of the 2022 peace agreement that ended the two-year conflict. Both the Ethiopian government and the TPLF have accused each other of violating the accord.
There was no immediate official confirmation of what caused the explosions in Addis Ababa, where the authorities have not disclosed the exact locations affected or reported any casualties or damage.
“The explosion took place at the HQ and was powerful. It shook the surrounding area and triggered significant panic among people in the vicinity,” a worker at a nearby bar told AFP.
“There were a few minutes of disturbing sounds followed by an explosion,” a local resident said.
The reported blasts followed an order by Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Services on Wednesday banning all drone flights around the capital.
Meanwhile, fighting has continued across several fronts in northern Ethiopia, with hundreds of people reportedly killed or wounded since the clashes resumed last week.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it had recorded more than 700 wounded people across hospitals in Tigray.
The renewed hostilities have heightened concerns that Ethiopia could face another prolonged conflict, barely four years after the previous war ended with the signing of a peace agreement in Pretoria, South Africa.
