Explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, raising concerns of a possible rebel attack in the diplomatic city, which has largely been spared from the violence affecting other parts of the country.
The explosions come about a week after heavy fighting broke out between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). It was the biggest escalation in the country since the end of a 2020-2022 civil war.
Both warring sides have accused each other of violating a 2022 peace deal that ended the brutal two-year civil war.
On Wednesday, the National Intelligence and Security Services ordered a ban on all drone flights around the capital.
“The explosion took place at the HQ and was powerful. It shook the surrounding area and triggered significant panic among people in the vicinity,” a worker at a nearby bar told AFP.
“There were a few minutes of disturbing sounds followed by an explosion,” a local resident added.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), medical charity, said it had already registered more than 700 wounded people across hospitals in Tigray.
