Ethiopian Army Reports 272 Tigrayan Fighters Killed Amid Escalating Conflict

The Ethiopian National Defence Force announced on Thursday that its troops have killed at least 272 fighters affiliated with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) during a counter-offensive in the northwest Amhara region. Additionally, the military reported that 260 other Tigrayan combatants were wounded and several others taken into custody.

In a statement posted to Facebook, the army asserted that government forces inflicted significant losses in both personnel and equipment after the TPLF and its allies attacked multiple areas in North Wollo, a zone bordering the Tigray region.

This surge in violence comes just days after the TPLF and six other armed factions from various parts of Ethiopia announced the creation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival. The newly formed coalition has pledged to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration. The alliance unites diverse groups, including the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Oromo Liberation Army, and movements from the Somali, Afar, and Benishangul-Gumuz regions.

Reflecting the severity of the situation, TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa told AFP news agency that the country is now experiencing “full-blown war.” He confirmed that Tigrayan forces are coordinating with local armed groups in both Afar and Amhara.

The conflict has already disrupted civilian infrastructure, with Tigrayan forces seizing control of three airports in the region. Flights to Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its medieval rock-hewn churches, were suspended on Thursday following reports of fighting near the area. Lalibela has previously been a target of the Fano militia, which is now operating in conjunction with the TPLF.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has faced the current crisis as regional rivalries intensify. The TPLF previously engaged the federal government in a devastating two-year war starting in 2020, which concluded with a peace agreement in 2022.

During his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie Amde attributed the escalation to “forces of destruction and mayhem” and accused external adversarial elements of interfering in Ethiopia’s internal affairs. He maintained that Ethiopia has shown restraint in its dealings with neighboring countries.

Analysts suggest that the Tigray rebels may have backing from Eritrea, a neighbor concerned that landlocked Ethiopia might seek to invade its territory to secure Red Sea access. When asked about potential Eritrean intervention, Assefa stated he had no information regarding such plans and noted that requesting help from Asmara was not currently on the agenda.

The domestic turmoil in Ethiopia is increasingly intertwined with broader geopolitical tensions in the Horn of Africa, particularly the worsening relations between Addis Ababa and Eritrea, as well as the ongoing civil war in Sudan. Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has visited Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara twice since July, while Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, reportedly traveled to Addis Ababa in late August.