• Ethiopian Airlines on Friday canceled flights to Bahir Dar

Heavy fighting has broken out in several areas in the capital of the Amhara region, Bahir Dar between Fano rebels and federal troops, reports say.

Large-scale fighting erupted in three kebeles of the city early Friday morning, the BBC reported, citing accounts from four residents of Bahir Dar.

A resident of the city recounted, “There was a fight from early dawn on the morning. We heard the sound of Kalashnikovs nearby. It persisted until approximately 7:40 A.m. Shortly after, we heard sounds of machine guns and heavy weaponry.”

Another resident quoted by the BBC reported continuous gunfire in the Abay Mado area for three consecutive days. There had been sustained fighting between security forces and Fano militants throughout Thursday night in the neighborhood known as Ayer Tena, the same source said. Today’s fighting, which took place amidst residential areas, intensified for an hour before subsiding around 9 o’clock, according to witnesses.

The regional government on Friday stated that the federal army and regional security forces were conducting “a joint operation and house-to-house surveillance around Bahir Dar to eliminate the extremist elements that had infiltrated into the city”.

In Bahir Dar and the suburbs, schools remained closed for the entire day. Offices, banks, and business establishments were shuttered. There was no immediate news of casualties resulting from the ongoing infighting.

Ethiopian Airlines has been compelled to cancel flights to Bahir Dar, as reported. Six flights scheduled for Friday have been canceled, and it is “unknown” when the flights will resume, according to the BBC.