Reports from Deutsche Welle say Fano fighters have allegedly captured multiple towns and districts across Ethiopia’s Amhara region after a new round of fighting with government forces.
Residents and Fano leaders told DW that frontline gains include Checheho and nearby localities — Zebit, Geregera and Aflakit — around the junction of South Gondar and North Wollo zones. A Checheho resident quoted by DW said the fighters now control those towns and surrounding areas. Another Fano source claimed Sanka, Zebit and Dibala had fallen under their control during the recent clashes.
The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) pushed back on those reports on its official social channels, saying its corps in Amhara launched operations against what it described as an “extremist group” accused of sowing disorder and looting around Mersa and other parts of North Wollo. The ENDF said its commander reported arrests of several alleged group members along with weapons and equipment, and that some locals have expressed support for the army’s actions.
In a more pointed diplomatic move earlier this month, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Eritrea and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of being involved in a September attempt by Fano militants to seize Woldiya. In a letter dated 2 October 2025 to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Foreign Minister Gedeon Timotheos alleged that TPLF commanders and fighters joined the operation under a new coalition called “Tsimdo.”
On the ground, accounts of fighting and control are mixed. Major Mikiyas, commander of the Checheho battalion, told DW that Fano forces had captured six districts in North Wollo alone and claimed government units suffered heavy casualties while attempting to advance near Raya Kobo. Yet a resident of Last Bilbila said that area has long been under Fano control and reported a lull — “now there has been peace for about two days.” DW also reported fresh clashes on Thursday in Beklo Manekiya, above Sanka in North Wollo.
ENDF spokesperson Brigadier General Getnet Adane declined to comment directly to DW, saying the military would speak only through official Government Communication Service statements. State Minister for Communication Affairs Kebede Dessisa dismissed the group’s capabilities, calling them provocateurs lacking the capacity to sustain multi-front fighting.
DW cautioned that it was unable to independently verify claims about which areas are held, or the numbers of casualties on either side — leaving a fog of competing claims over the scale and permanence of the alleged territorial seizures.
