Heavy fighting has erupted overnight in northern Ethiopia as the federal army confronts a newly formed coalition of rebel groups that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The clash began in the Amhara region, where the government says it has killed 272 TPLF fighters, a figure that has not yet been independently verified.

Renewed hostilities in the north

According to Al Jazeera, the violence marks a sharp escalation after the TPLF joined forces with six other armed groups to form a new rebel alliance. The army’s report, first released on Monday, claims the troops swept across the Amhara–Tigray border, inflicting heavy losses on the insurgents. France 24’s Tom Canetti, reporting from the front line, described the confrontation as a “full‑blown war” from the rebels’ perspective.

"The rebels are now fighting like a full‑blown war, not a skirmish," said Canetti.

The new alliance has been blamed for a surge in attacks on towns and villages that had been under relative calm since the 2020 ceasefire. The TPLF, which had been the dominant force in the 2018–2020 conflict that left thousands dead, appears to be seeking to regain influence in the region.

Scale and immediate impact

The army’s claim of 272 dead is the most concrete figure released in the last week. No independent casualty count has yet been published, and local witnesses in the town of Debre Tabor report a chaotic scene with bodies strewn across the streets and civilians fleeing in panic.

Digital services have been hit hard. A web‑monitoring service reported that internet connectivity in several towns in northern Ethiopia was cut off overnight, complicating humanitarian efforts and limiting the flow of information. The disruption was noted by DW News, which added that the shutdown coincided with the surge in hostilities.

Rebel alliance and government response

The TPLF’s decision to form a coalition with six other groups—many of which have been dormant since the end of the civil war—has drawn criticism from international observers. The Ethiopian government has characterised the alliance as a threat to national stability, calling the rebels a “band of insurgents” seeking to undermine the state.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the federal army said it would continue operations until the “terrorist network” was fully dismantled. The army’s spokesperson added that the forces had secured several strategic positions along the Tigray–Amhara frontier.

Humanitarian concerns grow

With the conflict restarting, concerns about a humanitarian crisis are mounting. The United Nations has warned that the resumption of violence could push thousands of civilians into displacement camps that are already operating at capacity. The UN’s humanitarian chief noted that the region’s infrastructure is fragile, and that prolonged fighting could disrupt food supplies and medical services.

Local aid workers report that the internet blackout is hampering coordination of relief supplies. They also say that refugees are being forced to move further south, where resources are scarce. The international community has urged both sides to return to negotiations, but no such talks have been announced.

As the fighting continues, the situation remains fluid. The Ethiopian government has pledged to restore communications, but the army’s latest statements suggest that the offensive will continue until the rebels are decisively defeated.

For now, the northern regions of Ethiopia sit on a knife‑edge between renewed violence and the fragile peace that held for years. The next few days will be critical in determining whether the country slides back toward full‑blown civil war or whether a new ceasefire can be negotiated.