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Ethiopia ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours on Thursday, October 1, and closed its embassy in Asmara, Al Jazeera reported. Explosions were heard in Addis Ababa overnight, hours after authorities banned drone flights over the capital.
The government cited "direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence" as its reason for the expulsions. Eritrea has denied supporting the opposition alliance that is fighting Ethiopian forces in the north.
Three diplomatic sources confirmed the blasts to Reuters. The Associated Press reported three explosions at separate locations, including one near the defense headquarters and another near a factory. The drone ban was issued by the National Intelligence and Security Service and covered Addis Ababa and the surrounding areas.
A coalition called the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival claimed responsibility for drone strikes on the city. The alliance brings together seven armed groups, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
In Tigray, government forces advanced to within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of the regional capital, Mekelle. Thousands of civilians have fled the city, and electricity and internet services have been cut. The TPLF has pulled its fighters back to new defensive positions.
The AP reported that the TPLF recently captured Tigray's main airport, which led to flight suspensions. It described the fighting as having shattered the 2022 peace agreement that ended a two-year war in the region.
Fighting has also spread to Afar, where the government claimed to have retaken the towns of Erebti and Abaala. Those claims have not been confirmed. About 80,000 Afar residents are reported to be trapped in the affected areas, and the region's deputy governor, Ahmed Hussein, called on Eritrea to withdraw.
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