The federal army says it killed 272 regional fighters in a counteroffensive<\/p>\n
Fighting has escalated between Ethiopian troops and Tigrayan forces, triggering the suspension of flights to the holy town of Lalibela amid fears of a return to full-scale war in the north of the country.
\nEthiopia\u2019s federal army said it repelled attacks in Amhara\u2019s North Wollo Zone and killed 272 Tigrayan fighters and wounded 260 others in a counteroffensive. Northeast army commander Lieutenant General Assefa Chekol said fighters from the Tigray People\u2019s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allied groups attempted to break through at several locations.
\n\u201cThe army is carrying out the crucial task of clearing the occupied zone of the enemy by conducting targeted counter-attacks from key military positions it holds,\u201d Chekol said in a statement on Thursday.
\nThe suspension of flights to Lalibela, home to UNESCO-listed rock-hewn churches, came a day after TPLF-linked forces seized airports in Mekelle, Axum, and Shire. Ethiopian Airlines also halted flights to these three cities in Tigray.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Ethiopia civil war fears escalate after rebel forces \u2018seize airport\u2019<\/p>\n
The two sides give conflicting accounts of how the fighting began. On Wednesday, an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused the TPLF of launching an \u201call-out offensive\u201d against government positions in Amhara and Afar. Tigray\u2019s regional authorities said their troops entered a \u201cdefensive battle\u201d after federal forces attacked them with aircraft, drones, and artillery on Tuesday.
\n\u201cWe are in the situation of full-blown war now,\u201d TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa told AFP on Thursday.
\nThe TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018. A power struggle between his government and Tigray\u2019s leaders erupted into war in November 2020. Eritrean troops and Amhara forces fought alongside the federal army against Tigrayan forces. Hundreds of thousands died before an African Union-mediated peace agreement was signed in 2022. The agreement ended the large-scale war, but disputes over territory, the return of displaced people, and the disarmament of Tigrayan forces remain unresolved.<\/p>\n
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In May, the TPLF restored Tigray\u2019s prewar regional council and elected party leader Debretsion Gebremichael as president following a dispute over the region\u2019s leadership.
\nThe latest escalation follows Sunday\u2019s announcement of an alliance between the TPLF and six other groups, including its former Amhara adversaries, seeking to remove Abiy\u2019s government.
\nThe African Union has condemned the violence, warning that \u201cthe formation of new political and military alliances\u201d risks further destabilizing the region and \u201creversing the gains made to silencing the guns, since 2020.\u201d It said the airport seizures and detention of federal personnel violate the 2022 peace agreement, asking AU mediator and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to reengage with the parties. The UN has called for civilian protection and humanitarian access.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The federal army says it killed 272 regional fighters in a counteroffensive Fighting has escalated between Ethiopian troops and Tigrayan forces, triggering the suspension of flights to the holy town…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t