Ethiopia’s army says it has repelled attacks by Tigrayan forces and allied groups in northern areas, marking its first public comment since fresh fighting began on Wednesday. The escalation has heightened fears that the devastating 2020–22 Tigray war could resume, despite an African Union-brokered peace agreement.

The army claims its forces inflicted heavy casualties and captured weapons, but the Tigray People’s Liberation Front has not responded and the claims cannot be independently verified. Fighting has reportedly spread towards Amhara and Afar, while Tigrayan forces seized three airports, Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Tigray, and residents of Mekelle described a tense but relatively quiet city facing severe cash shortages and economic disruption.