The Ethiopian authorities have arrested 17 military officers on charges of treason and collusion with the Tigray People's Liberation Front, amid continuing battles in the region between government forces and rebels.

Radio Vanna, which is close to the government, said that 17 military officers were arrested to prepare fertile ground for the Tigray People's Liberation Front Military Council, with the aim of carrying out an attack on the National Defense Forces.

The radio quoted the Federal Police Commission as saying that the arrested officers committed treason by creating favorable conditions for the Popular Front after cutting communication systems between the Northern Command and the Central Command.

"Regardless of the responsibility entrusted to them by the government, the Ethiopian people and the IDF, they joined the plot of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigrayans by exposing the defense forces to attack," the commission added.

The Tigray region is witnessing battles between the federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which led to the displacement of large numbers from the region, and from the neighboring Amhara region towards the Sudanese state of Gedaref.

Field developments


. Earlier, the Ethiopian army announced its control of "Hamra", one of the largest cities in the Tigray region, adjacent to the borders with Sudan and Eritrea.

The army stated - in a statement - that it tightened its control over Hamra and its airport after battles with the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which was controlling the city.

He also declared his control over the Dansha areas close to the Sudanese border, and said that he had responded to numerous attacks by the front.

For his part, Tigray TV confirmed the continuation of fighting in large areas of the region, indicating that the Front Forces were able to repel the Ethiopian army attacks along the confrontation areas for the sixth consecutive day.

A spokesman for the Emergency Committee in Ethiopia - Radwan Hussain - said that the battles against the Tigrayans were continuing in several regions.

It is noteworthy that the Tigray People's Liberation Front dominated political life in Ethiopia for nearly 3 decades, before Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, becoming the first prime minister of the Oromo ethnicity.

The front separated from the ruling coalition and challenged Abi Ahmed under the pretext of being marginalized, and Abi Ahmed challenged the holding of regional elections last September, which the government described as illegal, in light of a federal decision to postpone the elections due to the Corona pandemic.

Addis Ababa bombing


In the context of security developments in Ethiopia, a Federal Police spokesman said that an explosion occurred at the bottom of a bridge in the capital Addis Ababa today, Wednesday, wounding one person.

So far, there is no indication that the explosion was related to the conflict in the northern province of Tigray, where federal forces are fighting forces loyal to local leaders.

The spokesman told Reuters that this patient lost one of his legs.