A diplomatic source suggests that the Ethiopian army headquarters was likely to be attacked by drones

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A diplomatic source suggested today, Friday, that an attack with small drones was the cause of the explosions that rocked the Ethiopian army headquarters and a military base in Addis Ababa this week.

Battles broke out last week in northern Ethiopia, with the rebel "Tigray People's Liberation Front" launching attacks against federal forces, raising fears of a renewal of the devastating civil war that took place in the Tigray region between 2020 and 2022.

For the first time, the conflict appeared to reach the capital on the night of Wednesday-Thursday, following reports of an explosion at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, which also houses the headquarters of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces in Addis Ababa.

A diplomatic source based in the city told Agence France-Presse that drone strikes were the "most likely" cause of the explosions, "although we were unable to obtain images or independent confirmation."

It is likely that the devices used were FPV drones, which allow their operator to direct them using fiber optics. These are commercial drones converted for military purposes and equipped with an explosive charge.

The source added that a military base in the capital was bombed almost simultaneously.

Although the Ethiopian army has a much larger fleet of drones, the rebels also used them against air bases and airports in other regions of the country, including three attacks last Sunday in the Oromia and Amhara regions, according to data from the "ACLID" organization specialized in monitoring and following up on conflicts.

In turn, the "Critical Threats Project" of the "American Enterprise Institute" stated on Friday that the rebel forces "launched a campaign of drone attacks across Ethiopia, including the capital, Addis Ababa, with the aim of weakening and exhausting the Ethiopian forces, and demonstrating their ability to expand the scope of the conflict to include various parts of the country."

The government and the army refused to comment on the explosions that occurred in the capital, noting that residents and workers near the army headquarters in the Tor Hailuch area of ​​Addis Ababa confirmed hearing the sound of explosions.