Ethiopian Opposition Alliance Strikes Addis Ababa as Mekelle Empties

Explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa as fighting between Ethiopia's federal forces and an armed opposition coalition widened in the country's north, three diplomatic sources told Reuters, according to Al Jazeera.

What caused the blasts in Addis Ababa?

A source linked to the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival told Reuters the alliance carried out several drone strikes in the capital, including strikes targeting the military's headquarters, Al Jazeera reported. The blasts came hours after Addis Ababa banned drone flights in the capital and surrounding areas, according to the outlet.

Who makes up the opposition alliance?

The Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival unites seven armed groups, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front and fighters from the Amhara, Afar, Somali and Benishangul-Gumuz regions, Al Jazeera reported. The alliance says its goal is removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government, per the outlet.

What is happening around Mekelle?

Government forces have advanced north and reached a position about 40 kilometres, or 25 miles, from Mekelle, Tigray's regional capital, Al Jazeera's Muhammed Taha Tawakel reported from Afar on Wednesday. The TPLF has pulled fighters back to new positions, and some of its leaders have left Mekelle, Tawakel said. Thousands of civilians fled the city fearing clashes, according to his reporting. Electricity and internet service in the region have been cut, Al Jazeera reported.

The current fighting follows a large Tigrayan offensive last week that the TPLF calls a "defensive war" against federal drone and artillery strikes, according to Al Jazeera. Government troops and allied fighters have since launched a counteroffensive, the outlet reported.

What is the situation in the Afar region?

Government forces told Reuters they recaptured the towns of Erebti and Abaala near the Tigray border, a claim Al Jazeera described as unconfirmed. Tawakel reported Wednesday that fighting for control of the towns was ongoing. Local mediation efforts aimed at persuading forces holding Abala and Erebti to withdraw failed, he said. The status of more than 80,000 Afar residents trapped in the area remains uncertain, according to his reporting.

Could the conflict draw in Eritrea?

Ethiopia's federal government has renewed accusations of an Eritrean incursion in Afar, Al Jazeera reported. The government has also accused neighboring states of backing the opposition coalition, allegations those states deny, according to the outlet. Tawakel said the Afar fighting carries the risk of regional repercussions, potentially pulling Eritrea and Ethiopia into a wider war.

The conflict follows a pattern of widening confrontation in Ethiopia's north. HTT News has previously examined cascading regional security disruptions, including the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq and the attack on a FlyDubai flight to Israel.