Blasts Rock Addis Ababa After Ethiopia Bans Drones Amid Tigray Fighting

A series of explosions were heard across Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa overnight, hours after authorities imposed an indefinite ban on drone flights over the city and surrounding areas, as renewed fighting in the north raised fears that the conflict could spread to the capital.

An intelligence service official confirmed that three blasts were reported at separate locations on Wednesday night but declined to provide further details. A diplomatic source said an explosion was heard around 7 pm near the defence headquarters, followed by a siren. Residents also reported another blast near a factory in the area after midnight.

The cause of the explosions remained unclear. However, a source linked to an opposition alliance fighting federal forces claimed the group had carried out several drone strikes in Addis Ababa, including attacks targeting the military headquarters. Reuters could not independently verify the claim, and there was no visible damage near the military facility. Government, military and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

If confirmed, the strikes would mark the first known drone attack by anti-government forces on Addis Ababa. Opposition forces were not previously known to operate armed drones, although there has been growing evidence of their drone capability. A pro-government militia in Tigray also claimed this week that it had captured drone frames and batteries from forces linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

The drone ban came as fighting intensified in Tigray and neighbouring areas. Conflict-monitoring data said suspected suicide drones linked to the opposition alliance had earlier targeted an Ethiopian military air force camp in Bishoftu, Kombolcha airport and a military base near Bahir Dar airport.

Federal forces recently captured Alamata, a strategic town south of Mekelle, while Tigrayan and allied forces have held Erebti in Afar. The TPLF has also taken control of airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire, prompting flight suspensions.

The fighting has displaced an estimated 150,000 people, while medical groups have reported hundreds of wounded. Residents of the Hitsats displacement camp in northwestern Tigray said they could hear artillery fire and drones overhead. In Mekelle, disruptions to banking, communications and fuel supplies have added to civilian hardship.

The United Nations has called for an end to the fighting, protection of civilians and renewed dialogue under the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement.