Blast reported at Ethiopian army HQ in Addis Ababa
Published: 04:10 PM,Oct 01,2026 | EDITED : 08:10 PM,Oct 01,2026
ADDIS ABABA: An explosion was reported overnight at the headquarters of the Ethiopian army in the capital, Addis Ababa, diplomatic and security sources said on Thursday.
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 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.
Hundreds have been killed and wounded since heavy fighting resumed in northern Ethiopia last week. — AFP