Blasts heard in Addis Ababa as Ethiopia conflict widens in the north

Government forces close in on Tigray’s capital and renewed accusations of Eritrean involvement.Explosions have rung out in Addis Ababa as fighting between Ethiopia’s federal forces and a coalition of armed opposition groups widens in the country’s north.Three diplomatic sources told the Reuters news agency on Thursday that the blasts were heard overnight in the Ethiopian capital. The blasts came hours after Addis Ababa instituted a ban on drone-flying in the capital and surrounding areas.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3What’s triggered the latest violence in Ethiopia?list 2 of 3Young men flee Tigray amid fears of forced recruitmentlist 3 of 3Ethiopia’s army promises restraint amid fears of new civil warend of listA source linked to Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival told the agency the alliance had carried out several drone strikes in Addis Ababa, including some targeting the military’s headquarters.The alliance unites seven armed groups, including the Tigray-peoples-liberation-front" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="176389" data-entity-type="organization">Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and groups from the Amhara, Afar, Somali and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. It says it wants to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.Alliance fighters have also clashed with government forces in the neighbouring Afar region, where the authorities have renewed accusations of an Eritrean incursion.Map showing Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where clashes between the federal government and the Tigray-peoples-liberation-front" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="176389" data-entity-type="organization">Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have escalated [Al Jazeera]Reporting from Afar on Wednesday, Al Jazeera’s Muhammed Taha Tawakel said fighting had moved from the Amhara region deep into Tigray as government forces advanced north, reaching within about 40 kilometres (25 miles) of Mekelle, its regional capital.The TPLF, meanwhile, had pulled its fighters back to new positions, and some of its leaders had moved out of Mekelle, Tawakel said.