Ethiopia's government and the party controlling the northern region of Tigray have accused each other of launching offensives, escalating fears of a return to full-scale conflict.

Getachew Reda, a cabinet minister and adviser to Ethiopia's prime minister, said in a statement shared on social media that Tigrayan fighters had taken control of federally administered airports in Tigray and launched offensives in neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions. He claimed the TPLF leadership launched an all-out offensive against government positions early Wednesday, despite international efforts to prevent another round of war.

Earlier, Tigrayan authorities said their forces had been forced to enter a "defensive war". The statement followed reports of drone strikes in Tigray. The Tigray authorities accused Addis Ababa of launching an "open invasion" of the region, urging people to support the regional forces and maintain unity.

Residents of Tigray's main city of Mekelle told the BBC that local forces had taken over control of the city's airport from the national police early on Wednesday. Ethiopian Airlines subsequently cancelled all flights to Tigray. On Tuesday, a strike in the southern town of Alamata killed at least 14 people and injured 22 others, according to Tigrayan authorities. The town's mayor, Mogos Shiferaw, said more than five drones and one fighter jet had carried out more than 21 strikes, and all those killed and injured were civilians.

The two-year war in Tigray, which formally ended in November 2022 with the AU-brokered Pretoria Agreement, was one of the most deadly conflicts this century. The African Union's mediator estimated some 600,000 people died as the fighting drove the region to the precipice of famine. Over recent months, both sides have been accusing each other of violating the peace deal. On Sunday, the TPLF announced an alliance with six other armed groups in Ethiopia to remove the government in Addis Ababa.

The US State Department's Bureau of African Affairs condemned a separate drone strike that it said took place on Monday, targeting a convoy of Catholic vehicles carrying food aid, and called for an investigation. Both Addis Ababa and TPLF leaders have faced criticism over delays in implementing key provisions of the Pretoria Agreement. In July, Prime Minister Abiy accused the TPLF of preparing for renewed conflict. Just before the general election in May, which was not held in Tigray because of the security situation, the TPLF restored its pre-war administration, disbanding an interim one appointed by Abiy.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk