Ethiopian army says 272 TPLF fighters killed in failed offensive
ADDIS ABABA –– Ethiopia’s military said Thursday that 272 fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) were killed after the group launched an unsuccessful offensive on Tuesday night.
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In a statement, the Ethiopian National Defense Force said it had “strongly repelled” the assault in the country’s northeast, killing militants and capturing weapons and ammunition.
The army said the TPLF had sought to infiltrate North Wollo zone in the Amhara region, sending forces into several districts. The fighters were later forced to withdraw after suffering what the statement described as “a heavy blow,” including the loss of personnel and military assets.
Beyond the 272 TPLF fighters reported killed, the army said “a large number of enemy forces were captured” and that 260 others were wounded in the failed operation.
The reported clashes come as tensions intensify around Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. Local media said Sunday that seven Ethiopian opposition and armed groups had announced the formation of a new alliance.
On Wednesday, the African Union urged all sides to exercise the utmost restraint and immediately reduce tensions in northern Ethiopia.
The latest developments have revived concerns that the country could slide back into open conflict, following the two-year war between Ethiopian federal forces and troops loyal to the TPLF from November 2020 through November 2022.
That conflict left millions of people in urgent need of humanitarian aid before the two sides signed the landmark Pretoria peace accord in South Africa, bringing the hostilities to an end.
