Federal Forces Advance in Tigray as 52 Civilians Reported Killed

Fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia, with federal forces advancing further into Tigray after appearing to recapture the town of Alamata.

Hospital sources told the BBC that at least 52 civilians were killed during three days of fighting around Alamata. More than 700 wounded people have reportedly been treated at hospitals supported by Médecins Sans Frontières across Tigray.

Government forces appear to have taken control of Alamata and are moving north, according to reports cited in the source report. Clashes have also been reported around Korem, approximately 100 kilometres south of the Tigray regional capital, Mekelle.

Reports of fighting beyond Tigray

Fighting has also been reported in the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara, suggesting that the renewed violence has extended beyond Tigray. Communications remain disrupted, making it difficult to independently verify battlefield developments.

Reports from the Alamata area said heavy artillery struck residential areas and a market. Those reports have not been independently verified.

Renewed tensions

The latest violence follows months of tension between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. The two sides accuse each other of violating the 2022 peace agreement that ended the previous Tigray war.

That conflict reportedly killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced large numbers of residents. The current fighting has prompted new concerns over civilian casualties, although no independently verified overall death toll for the latest violence has been provided.

With communications still disrupted, claims about territorial control, clashes and damage remain difficult to confirm independently.