Ethiopia's Counter-Offensive Kills 272 Tigrayan Fighters Amid Current Wars in the World

Ethiopia’s army reports killing at least 272 Tigrayan fighters in a counter-offensive in the Amhara region as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front declares a full-blown war and joins a new multi-group rebel alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government amid current wars in the world. The Ethiopian National Defence Force said another 260 Tigrayan fighters were wounded and several were captured. [1] Government forces launched a counter-offensive that inflicted heavy personnel and equipment losses on the TPLF after the group and its allies attacked several areas of North Wollo. [1]

Ethiopian Army Reports Heavy Losses on Tigrayan Forces

The Ethiopian army said it has killed at least 272 fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in a counter-offensive in the country’s northwest Amhara region. [1] The Ethiopian National Defence Force stated that another 260 Tigrayan fighters were wounded and several were captured. [1] Government forces launched a counter-offensive that inflicted heavy personnel and equipment losses on the TPLF after the group and its allies attacked several areas of North Wollo, a region of Amhara that borders Tigray. [1] The army issued the statement on Facebook. [1]

TPLF Declares Full-Blown War and Confirms Alliance Operations

TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa told AFP news agency that the group is in the situation of full-blown war now with Ethiopia’s government. [1] He confirmed that Tigrayan forces were fighting alongside local armed groups in Afar and Amhara. [1] The intensification came days after the TPLF and six other armed groups announced the formation of a new alliance. [1]

Formation of Multi-Group Rebel Alliance Against Abiy Government

The TPLF and six other armed groups from across Ethiopia announced the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, which committed itself to removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. [1] The coalition brought together the newly-formed Amhara Fano National Movement, the Oromo Liberation Army and other movements from the Somali, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz regional states. [1] In a statement issued as the fighting widened, the alliance said the federal government was attacking its forces on several fronts and presented their response as part of the broader struggle that had brought the coalition together. [1] The alliance marks a striking realignment that had been almost a year in the making, bringing together armed groups with very different histories and grievances against the central government. [1]

Disruption to Air Travel and Fighting Near Lalibela

The escalation has disrupted air travel, as Tigrayan forces seized three local airports in the region. [1] Flights to Lalibela, a UNESCO-listed site in Amhara known for its medieval rock-hewn churches, were suspended, according to Reuters news agency. [1] AFP also received reports of fighting around Lalibela, causing its airport to close. [1] The area has often been targeted by the Fano, a local armed group that is now operating alongside the TPLF. [1]

Links to Previous Tigray War and Regional Rivalries

TPLF last went to war with the Ethiopian federal government in 2020, leading to a devastating two-year conflict that ended with a peace deal in 2022. [1] In his address at the UN General Assembly, Ethiopia’s President Taye Atske-Selassie Amde blamed the escalation on the forces of destruction and mayhem and interference in our internal affairs by adversarial elements. [1] He said Ethiopia had exercised immense restraint and made progress with its neighbours. [1] Analysts say the Tigray rebels have support from Eritrea, which fears landlocked Ethiopia is planning to invade its territory to gain access to the Red Sea. [1] The TPLF’s Assefa told AFP we have no information about Eritrea’s plan. [1] Asked if they would request Eritrean intervention, he said: Not yet. [1] Ethiopia’s domestic conflicts are becoming harder to separate from wider rivalries in the Horn of Africa, particularly Addis Ababa’s deteriorating relationship with Eritrea and Sudan’s civil war. [1] Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has visited Asmara twice since July for talks with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, while Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, reportedly visited Addis Ababa in late August. [1]

Separate Conflicts Continue in Current Wars in the World in West Bank and Nigeria’s Plateau State

The son of Israel’s ambassador to the United States was gravely injured in a ramming attack in the occupied West Bank. [2] Neria Leiter, a reservist in Israel’s military, needs a miracle, Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said in a social media post. [2] According to the military and law enforcement, a Palestinian man rammed his car into a security checkpoint near the settlement of Beit Horon, seriously wounding the officer. [2] Israeli forces at the scene then opened fire at the terrorist as he attempted to flee and killed him. [2] The suspect was identified as Mahmoud Suleiman, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. [2] A paramedic with the Magen David Adom emergency service said the injured officer was unconscious when crews arrived at the scene and was evacuated to a hospital in Jerusalem. [2] Victims of the March 29 Palm Sunday attacks in Plateau State which claimed over 30 lives broke down in tears, anguish and pains as they narrated their losses to visiting former Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Revd. Justin Welby. [3] Mrs. Favour Ayuba, who lost her only son Promise, said since 29th March till date, I have been asking questions and I have not got any answers. [3] Abdulbasit Abiodu, who also lost his first son, said on Sunday, 29th of March, I was with my firstborn, praying. [3] Welby told the victims that it is not me who needs the thanks, it is you who need the thanks, because you have been courageous to come here. [3] The former Archbishop noted a long time ago, when my wife and I were quite young, we had a baby who was killed. [3] He said there are no easy answers to the terrible pain your community is going through. [3] The latest UNSCO report highlights the severe humanitarian, economic, social and political challenges in the occupied Palestinian territory. [4]

What to watch next: Sudan’s army chief has visited Asmara twice since July for talks with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki while the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander reportedly visited Addis Ababa in late August.