Explosion overnight at Ethiopian army HQ in capital

An explosion was reported overnight at the headquarters of the Ethiopian army in the capital, Addis Ababa, diplomatic and security sources told AFP on Thursday.

A general view of the damaged building housing Tigray TV, the state broadcaster of Ethiopia's Tigray region, following a drone strike in Mekelle on September 27, 2026.

Heavy fighting broke out on September 23 between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war that killed an estimated 600,000 people.

The explosion at the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) headquarters in the Tor Hayloch area of Addis Ababa happened between midnight and 1:00am local time, multiple sources said.

If confirmed as a rebel attack, it would mark the first time that the city has been targeted in recent years.

"The explosion took place at the HQ and was powerful. It shook the surrounding area and triggered significant panic among people in the vicinity," a worker at a nearby bar told AFP.

Source: Citizen Digital