Ethiopian Army Reports 272 Tigrayan Fighters Killed in Amhara Counter-Offensive Amid Expanding Conflict

The Ethiopian National Defence Force announced on Thursday that it successfully neutralized at least 272 fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) during a fierce counter-offensive in the country's northwest Amhara region.

According to the military, an additional 260 Tigrayan fighters sustained injuries, and several others were captured following clashes in North Wollo, an area bordering Tigray. The army stated that the operation was launched in response to coordinated attacks by the TPLF and its allies across multiple locations.

This escalation follows the recent formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, a coalition uniting the TPLF, the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Oromo Liberation Army, and various other regional movements from Somali, Afar, and Benishangul-Gumuz. The alliance has stated its objective is to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa confirmed the severity of the situation in a statement to AFP, declaring that the region is now experiencing a full-blown war with Tigrayan forces actively fighting alongside local armed groups in Afar and Amhara.

The intensified fighting has also caused significant disruptions to regional infrastructure, including the seizure of three local airports and the suspension of flights to Lalibela, a renowned UNESCO-listed site featuring medieval rock-hewn churches.

During the United Nations General Assembly, Ethiopia’s President Taye Atske-Selassie Amde attributed the worsening violence to destructive external forces and domestic instability, while analysts continue to monitor broader regional rivalries involving Eritrea and Sudan.