Overview
- Federal forces and allied militias have pushed into Tigray and are reported to be closing on the regional capital Mekelle, with residents and diplomats saying troops are now within striking distance.
- Explosions heard in Addis Ababa were widely reported as suspected drone strikes that struck or targeted military sites including the Ethiopian National Defence Force headquarters.
- Ethiopia declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata and said it would close its embassy in Asmara, and Eritrea responded by severing diplomatic relations; Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat and Cairo reciprocated.
- Humanitarian organisations report hundreds of wounded patients and tens of thousands displaced in Tigray and Afar, and communications blackouts and constrained access are hindering aid operations.
- Analysts warn the conflict could expand regionally because Ethiopia accuses Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of backing the TPLF-led alliance and because disputes over Red Sea access and the Nile create channels for proxy involvement.