Ethiopian army reports 272 TPLF fighters killed in failed offensive

Ethiopia's military says 272 fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) were killed following an offensive in the country's northeastern Amhara region on Tuesday night.

In a statement on Thursday, the Ethiopian National Defense Force said it had repelled the attack and seized weapons and ammunition from the fighters.

The military said the TPLF attempted to enter North Wollo zone by deploying forces across several districts but was forced to withdraw after suffering heavy casualties.

It also reported that 260 fighters were wounded and that a large number were captured.

The reported clashes come amid renewed tensions in northern Ethiopia. Local media reported on Sunday that seven Ethiopian opposition and armed groups had formed a new alliance.

The African Union on September 30 urged all sides to exercise restraint and immediately de-escalate the situation.

The latest violence has revived concerns over a possible return to conflict in the region, less than four years after the end of Ethiopia's two-year war between federal forces and TPLF-aligned fighters.

The conflict, which lasted from November 2020 to November 2022, killed and displaced large numbers of people and left millions in need of humanitarian assistance. The two sides later signed the Pretoria peace agreement in South Africa, bringing the fighting to an end.