Ethiopia: federal forces advance in Tigray as 52 civilians reported killed

Fighting is intensifying in northern Ethiopia, with federal troops pushing further into Tigray after recapturing the strategic town of Alamata.

Hospital sources told the BBC that at least 52 civilians were killed during three days of fighting around Alamata, with heavy artillery reportedly striking residential areas and a market. More than 700 wounded people have also been treated at hospitals supported by Médecins Sans Frontières across Tigray.

Government forces appear to have taken control of Alamata and are now moving north, with clashes reportedly reported around Korem, about 100 kilometres south of Mekelle, Tigray's capital.

The renewed fighting follows months of tensions between Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which both accuse each other of violating the 2022 peace agreement that ended the previous war.

The conflict is also spreading beyond Tigray, with fighting reported in neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions. Communications remain disrupted, making independent verification of battlefield claims difficult.

The escalation has revived fears of a wider conflict in Ethiopia, after the previous Tigray war killed hundreds of thousands and displaced large numbers of people.