Heavy fighting continues in various areas of West and East Gojjam zones, North Shewa, and Central Gondar zones in the Amhara region between federal troops and local militias, reports say. he

The Fano militia group has claimed control over several towns, including Bure, a significant town in the West Gojjam Zone, where witnesses said they have seen its fighters patrolling.

The Gojam Fano spokesman, Zinabu Lingerew, informed a US-based Ethiopian news outlet the group successfully thwarted fresh government attacks and seized towns. He said the fighters managed to destroy military vehicles and capture some soldiers.

One of the areas where the conflict has spread in West Gojam is the Kurit district. A resident who chose not to reveal his name told the BBC Amharic that four days ago, “government troops have launched an operation to seize the center of the woreda, and a fierce battle is currently underway.”

Residents report the use of heavy weaponry in towns and villages surrounding the regional capital Bahir Dar. Government soldiers are said to be conducting house-to-house searches in several towns, including Dembecha and Feres Bet, towns in the West Gojam zone. According to a witness, young people have been reported as abducted in areas under the control of federal forces, and some of them were killed, allegedly for their support of Fano.

Access to several parts of the Amhara region remains constrained. The fate of thousands of civilians who have endured months of fighting and deprivation in the besieged town of Tis Abay, the village closest to the Blue Nile Falls, remains uncertain. The town has been the strong seige of Fano rebels and government forces in Bahir Dar obstructing any movement to and from the area by imposing checkpoints and military commanders, according to witnesses. Villagers isolated from surrounding towns and the regional capital are grappling with shortages of food and medicine. The Bahir Dar city administration is maintaining that they are not to blame for the situation. A resident of Bahir Dar town said that the government appears to be indirectly urging the villagers to take up arms against rebel fighters. Reports also indicate that civilians are experiencing extraordinary suffering, believed to be trapped in Nefas Mewcha and Checheho, two towns located along the China Road, which serves as a crucial link between Woreta and Woldia.