Explosion overnight at Ethiopian army HQ in capital

Heavy fighting broke out on September 23 between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war that killed an estimated 600,000 people.

The explosion at the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) headquarters in the Tor Hayloch area of Addis Ababa happened between midnight and 1:00am local time, multiple sources said.

If confirmed as a rebel attack, it would mark the first time that the city has been targeted in recent years.

"The explosion took place at the HQ and was powerful. It shook the surrounding area and triggered significant panic among people in the vicinity," a worker at a nearby bar told AFP.

The worker was not present at the time of the blast but said they spoke to colleagues who were.

"There were a few minutes of disturbing sounds followed by an explosion," a local resident added.

The blast was confirmed by a foreign diplomatic source and a security source in the city -- but they could not say the nature of the blast or who was responsible.

On Wednesday, the National Intelligence and Security Services ordered a ban on all drone flights around the capital.

The ENDF spokesperson did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

Hundreds have been killed and wounded since heavy fighting resumed in northern Ethiopia last week.

Clashes are ongoing across several fronts.

The TPLF has launched attacks into neighbouring Afar and Amhara states, fighting alongside local militias, while pro-government forces have been pushing northwards towards the Tigray capital of Mekelle.

Media are prevented from travelling to affected areas and there are significant communications disruptions, while the federal government has barely commented on the conflict.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it had already registered more than 420 wounded at Korem and Alamata hospitals in Tigray by September 25, and more than 300 at Shire in western Tigray.

A humanitarian source estimated that tens of thousands have fled their homes in Afar.