At least 52 civilians have been killed during three days of heavy fighting around Alamata in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, hospital sources have told the BBC.
Government troops appear to have taken control of the town from regional fighters and intend to push north toward Mekelle, the region's main city. Social media clips show army tanks on Alamata's streets.
Clashes broke out last week after months of tension between the government and the party that controls Tigray, with both accusing each other of violating a 2022 deal that ended a two‑year civil war.
Fighting has also affected neighbouring regions with 33 tourists stranded for the last week in Lalibela, a UNESCO world heritage site.
A British tourist, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that there was a large military presence in Lalibela after fighting near the town had calmed in the last two days and that the airport might reopen.
The fighting around Lalibela involved the army and an Amhara militia that has allied with Tigrayan fighters. Earlier, the Amhara militia joined forces with other Ethiopian armed movements to form a seven‑member alliance aiming to remove the government in Addis Ababa.
There is also fear that neighbouring Eritrea could become involved, as the government accuses Asmara of supporting the armed groups, something it denies.
Communications to Tigray have been cut, making it difficult for BBC reporters and others to obtain on‑the‑ground information.
The government and Tigrayan forces dispute who started the latest fighting. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front says it was responding to a federal offensive, including drone strikes, while the government claims Tigrayan forces attacked first after seizing control of airports in the region.
Over the last few days, Médecins Sans Frontières said more than 700 wounded people had been admitted to hospitals it supports in Tigray.
The doctor at Alamata General Hospital, who requested anonymity, described heavy explosives and artillery in the town's marketplace that killed 12 people in a single strike, and also mentioned that children as young as three days old and cattle herders were among the dead.
Since the fighting began, banking services in Tigray have been suspended, and access to the internet has also been cut. The Tigray Broadcasting Service has started an initiative to help reconnect families by collecting video messages via its Telegram channel and airing them via satellite TV.
Many Tigrayan residents outside the region report frozen or restricted bank accounts. One former Mekelle resident said that when he tried a mobile transfer from Addis Ababa to Adama, it did not work, making it difficult for people who have fled Tigray.
