Night Explosion at the Ethiopian Army Headquarters in the Capital, Addis Ababa

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An explosion occurred at the Ethiopian army headquarters in the capital, Addis Ababa, according to a diplomatic source and a resident who spoke to AFP on Thursday.

Violent clashes erupted on September 23 between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, raising fears of a resurgence of the devastating civil war that plagued the north of the country between 2020 and 2022, claiming around 600,000 lives.

A resident in Addis Ababa said, "Worrying sounds were heard for a few minutes followed by an explosion."

A foreign diplomatic source confirmed that the sound of the explosion was heard around midnight at the Ethiopian National Defense Force headquarters, but he could not confirm the nature of the explosion or who was responsible for it.

The national intelligence and security agencies banned on Wednesday the flight of drones in the vicinity of the capital.

AFP contacted the spokesperson for the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, but he did not respond immediately.