“We are concerned about the escalation in Ethiopia and call for an immediate return to the ceasefire,” said UN Secretary General António Guterres.

Fighting resumed today in northern Ethiopia in the border areas of the Tigray region, where the parties exchange accusations of violating a truce declared five months ago.

The Ethiopian Government Communications Directorate announced that the Tegraye People’s Liberation Front “launched an attack on the eastern front of the Ethiopian Defense Forces early Wednesday morning.” The office said in a statement that “the front is ignoring all alternatives to peace presented by the government as the terrorist group continues its provocations and launched an attack on the eastern front at 5 a.m. today, indicating that “the attack and the front’s leadership statement indicate that they were preparing for their provocative actions.

Earlier in the day, the Ethiopian News Agency reported that an unidentified aircraft that had intruded into Ethiopian airspace near the border with Sudan had been shot down with weapons at the Tigray front.