Blasts heard in Addis Ababa as Ethiopia conflict widens in the north

Explosions have rung out in Addis Ababa as fighting between Ethiopia's federal forces and a coalition of armed opposition groups widens in the country's north. Three diplomatic sources told the Reuters news agency on Thursday that the blasts were heard overnight in the Ethiopian capital. The blasts came hours after Addis Ababa instituted a ban on drone-flying in the capital and surrounding areas. The alliance unites seven armed groups, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and groups from the Amhara, Afar, Somali and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. It says it wants to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.