Ethiopian army reports 272 Tigrayan fighters killed in Amhara region

Ethiopia’s army announced that it has killed at least 272 fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) during a counter-offensive in the northwest Amhara region. The Ethiopian National Defence Force reported on Thursday that an additional 260 Tigrayan fighters were wounded and several were captured. The army stated that government forces launched a counter-offensive after the TPLF and its allies attacked several areas of North Wollo, a region bordering Tigray. This escalation follows the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival by the TPLF and six other armed groups, which aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa confirmed that Tigrayan forces are collaborating with local armed groups in Afar and Amhara. The coalition includes the newly-formed Amhara Fano National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Army, among others. The alliance represents a significant realignment of various armed groups with differing histories and grievances against the central government. The coalition stated that the federal government is attacking its forces on multiple fronts. The fighting has also disrupted air travel, with Tigrayan forces reportedly seizing three local airports. Flights to Lalibela, a UNESCO-listed site, were suspended on Thursday. Reports indicate fighting around Lalibela, which has previously been targeted by the Fano group. The TPLF last engaged in conflict with the Ethiopian federal government in 2020, resulting in a two-year war that concluded with a peace agreement in 2022. In a recent address at the UN General Assembly, Ethiopia’s President Taye Atske-Selassie Amde attributed the escalation to external interference and described the situation as one requiring immense restraint. Analysts suggest that the Tigray rebels may have support from Eritrea, which is concerned about Ethiopia's intentions regarding access to the Red Sea. Assefa stated that there is currently no information about Eritrea’s plans and indicated that a request for Eritrean intervention has not been made. The domestic conflicts in Ethiopia are increasingly intertwined with broader regional rivalries, particularly with Eritrea and the civil war in Sudan.