ADDIS ABABA – Residents in the two biggest cities in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, the state capital Bahir Dar and the historic Gondar, have told the BBC that intense fighting between local militias and government troops has continued on Tuesday as violence shows no sign of abating.
The clashes include the firing of heavy weaponry, according to the residents, raising concerns over the safety of civilians. The state-run radio station in Bahir Dar has stopped transmission, residents said.
Fighting has also continued in the industrial city of Debrebirhan, 130km (80 miles) north of the country’s capital Addis Ababa, where residents reported seeing drones hovering.
Activists linked with the militias claim controlling additional small towns and villages but the BBC has been unable to independently confirm the claims.
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom who is an Ethiopian, has expressed concerns over the ongoing violence.
“Humanitarian access is difficult due to blockage of roads, communication is difficult due to internet suspension,” Dr Tedros wrote on his social media accounts.
Meanwhile arrests are have continued to be reported in Addis Ababa with a journalist among those detained. Bekal Alamirew, the founder of Alpha Media, had also been arrested last year during the Tigray war.