Several explosions were heard in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa late on Wednesday, including one near the headquarters of the National Defence Force, amid unverified claims that an opposition alliance had carried out drone attacks, as fighting escalated between federal forces and armed groups in the north of the country.
Three explosions rock different sites in the capital
An Ethiopian security official confirmed that three explosions had occurred at three different sites in the capital, but provided no further information about their causes or nature. A diplomatic source said they heard an explosion at around 7pm near the Defence Force headquarters, followed by the sound of sirens. Residents living near the military headquarters reported hearing another explosion near a factory in the area after midnight.
The cause of the explosions remained unclear, as it was not known whether they resulted from an attack or were linked to exercises held at the Defence Force headquarters. Three diplomatic sources said the sounds of explosions had been heard overnight in Addis Ababa.
Opposition alliance claims drone attacks
In contrast, a source linked to the opposition alliance that has been fighting government forces in northern Ethiopia since last week claimed that the alliance had carried out several drone attacks inside the capital, some targeting army headquarters. The opposition alliance's account could not be independently verified, while witnesses said there was no visible damage around the military base.
There was also no immediate response from the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the federal government or the National Defence Force to requests for comment on the explosions and the related claims. If the opposition's use of armed drones in Addis Ababa is confirmed, it would be the first known attack of its kind by anti-government forces on the capital, which lies hundreds of kilometres from the battlefronts in the Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions in the north of the country.
Drone flights banned in Addis Ababa
In its notice, the agency said it had suspended the issuing of drone-operation permits until further notice and was monitoring the airspace over the capital and neighbouring areas using integrated counter-drone technologies. It warned that any aircraft operated in breach of the decision would be detected and intercepted, and its operators would face legal action.
Ethiopian opposition forces were not previously known to possess armed drones, although indications have emerged recently that they may have limited capabilities in this area. An armed pro-government group claimed on Tuesday that it had seized drone frames and batteries from forces linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, one of the main members of the opposition alliance. The claim could not be independently verified.
Fighting escalates north and east of the capital
The developments in the capital follow clashes described as Ethiopia's biggest escalation since the end of the war fought between 2020 and 2022. The Tigray People's Liberation Front formed an alliance with six other armed groups, which said it sought to overthrow Abiy Ahmed's government. Federal forces advanced in southern Tigray towards Mekelle, the regional capital, while the opposition alliance seized towns in the neighbouring Afar region.
The pro-government Tigray Peace Forces group said on Wednesday that, alongside the Ethiopian army, it had taken control of Korem, a town about 100 kilometres south of Mekelle. In Afar, the fighting displaced tens of thousands of people, according to Valerie Browning, co-founder of the Afar Pastoralist Development Association.
A regional government official said federal and regional forces had retaken the towns of Erebti and Abala, near the border with Tigray, although field reports on control of the towns had not been independently verified. In a statement dated 23 September 2026, the United Nations secretary-general had expressed grave concern over the rapid deterioration of the situation in northern Ethiopia, including control of the airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire, intensifying fighting in and around Tigray, and the spread of clashes to neighbouring areas.
The secretary-general urged all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, de-escalate immediately and protect civilians, ensure safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers, and avoid actions that could lead to a wider conflict.
He also reaffirmed his support for African Union efforts to bring the parties back to negotiations under the Pretoria Agreement.
