Ethiopia's army says it has repelled attacks in first comment on fresh fighting

Ethiopia's army says it has repelled attacks from Tigrayan forces and their allies in parts of the north of the country, in its first statement since fighting broke out on Wednesday.

The army said hostilities began in an area of Amhara region close to the border with Tigray, adding that its soldiers had inflicted heavy casualties and seized weapons.

The developments come as tensions between the federal government and Tigrayan leaders have sharply escalated over the last few days, raising fears that a devastating civil war could resume.

On Wednesday, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which dominates the region, seized control of three airports from federal police.

The TPLF has not commented on the army's claims and the BBC has not been able to independently verify the army's claims.

The BBC is unable to report from Tigray and surrounding areas.

There are unconfirmed reports that TPLF forces have launched attacks in the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara.

A humanitarian source in Afar told AFP news agency on Thursday that Tigrayan forces had launched heavy artillery attacks as they attempted to take control of the town of Yallo, near the border with Tigray.