Ethiopia: Federal army intensifies offensive in the north, Tigray television targeted by drone

Nearly a week after hostilities resumed in northern Ethiopia, the federal army has intensified its counter-offensive on multiple fronts against Tigrayan forces. On Sunday, September 27, a drone struck the facilities of the Tigray region's public television station in Mekelle, the regional capital held by dissident regional authorities.

The extent of the damage caused by the strike was not immediately disclosed. However, the attack on a public media outlet underscores the intensification of military operations in a region that had already experienced a deadly conflict between 2020 and 2022 between the federal government and Tigrayan forces.

Fighting reported south of Tigray

Clashes between federal troops and the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) were also reported further south in the Alamata area, approximately 400 kilometers north of Addis Ababa. This locality is considered strategically important: its capture by either side could significantly shift the balance of power on the ground.

The resumption of fighting comes amid fragility of the 2022 peace agreement signed between Addis Ababa and Tigrayan authorities, which had ended two years of war. Since then, internal political tensions within Tigray, as well as persistent disagreements with the federal government, have fueled concerns about a return to conflict.

Ethiopian federal authorities have not provided detailed information about the scope of their offensive or any potential timeline for upcoming operations. For their part, Tigrayan forces have also not released precise figures on fighting in recent days.

The situation is being watched with concern by humanitarian organizations present in the region, who fear a new deterioration in living conditions for Tigray's civilian population, already heavily affected by the previous conflict.