New Delhi: More than 300 fighters of the Fano armed group in two days of clashes in the northern Amhara region, the Ethiopian army said on Friday. The incident has raised concerns about a potential large-scale regional conflict. The Fano militia had fought alongside the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies during the two-year civil war. In this war, Addis Ababa conflicted with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the northern Tigray region. Since then, tensions have persisted between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
War between Ethiopia and Eritrea
Recent violence in the past few weeks has raised concerns about a new war. Given the current tensions, Eritrea has reportedly ordered a nationwide military mobilization. Meanwhile, Ethiopia has also deployed troops toward its border. The conflict between the Ethiopian army and Fano began in July 2023, driven by a sense of betrayal among many Amhara people regarding the terms of the 2022 peace agreement.
The Ethiopian army said in a statement on Friday, “The extremist group calling itself Fano carried out attacks in various areas of the Amhara region under the name Operation Unity. Now, this extremist group has been destroyed.”
They further added that during this operation, 317 Fano fighters were killed and 125 were injured. The army added that it will continue its attacks against this extremist group and will not rest until their complete eradication.
Fano Militia Rejects Claims
Meanwhile, in Wollo, Abebe Fantahun, the spokesperson for Amhara Fano in Amhara, has rejected the Ethiopian army’s claim. He stated late on Friday night that the Ethiopian army had not even killed 30 of their fighters. Yohannes Nigusu, the Fano spokesperson in Gondar, Amhara region, said that 602 Ethiopian army soldiers were killed in the battle, 430 were injured, while 98 soldiers were captured, and weapons were seized by the militia.
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