Fighting flares for second day in northern Ethiopia -residents

FILE PHOTO: Debretsion Gebremichael, leader of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) party, in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, Ethiopia, July 7, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Fighting flared for a second day in northern Ethiopia, residents said on Thursday, an outbreak of violence that has shattered hopes for fledgling peace talks between the government and forces from the Tigray region.

“We are frequently hearing the sound of heavy weapons, more than the previous days,” a farmer in Amhara's Kobo area who did not wish to be named told Reuters. “More troops including those from Ethiopian National Defence Force, local militias and Fanos (volunteer militia) are heading to the front.”