Nairobi: Following clashes between local fighters and federal troops, Ethiopian Airlines on Tuesday announced it would not fly to any airports in the area and cancelled flights to Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara.

Flights to three additional airports in the northern region were cancelled by the national carrier last week.

The government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last week imposed a six-month state of emergency in Amhara as a result of the escalation in violence there.

Also Read: European scientists formally confirm it. By far, July was the hottest month ever

Ethiopian Airlines announced that it had cancelled the flights it had scheduled for Dessie (Kombolcha), Gondar, Lalibela, and Bahir Dar on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Nine months have passed since the devastating two-year war in the neighbouring Tigray region of Africa came to an end, and there are now new unrest in the continent's second-most populous nation.

Amharan fighters were also drawn to that conflict.

Since the federal government announced in April that it was dismantling regional forces throughout Ethiopia, tensions have risen.

Amhara nationalists objected, claiming the action would weaken their region.

Foreign governments have issued travel advisories in response to the clashes.

Residents of several Amharan towns told AFP that local Fano militia fighters were engaged in combat with federal forces.

Bahir Dar resident Tesfahun claimed to have heard artillery fire "non-stop around the airport roads" until Monday night.

"This morning there were gunshots around Lideta 14," he said, referring to a neighbourhood close to the airport.

"Personas are inside. There is no movement at all.

"Things are really bad here," said Simachew, a rickshaw driver in Gondar, to AFP. There is heavy artillery in the city in addition to gunfire.

Also Read: "Biden Charts Diplomatic Course Set to Visit Vietnam Amidst China's Shadow

"The heavy sounds are just horrifying, and it's really scary even inside... I'm not sure how this will turn out," he continued.

Tourist Inma De Blas claimed to be one of 19 Spanish travellers stuck between Bahir Dar and Gondar.

She told AFP over the phone that while they were driving, "someone told our driver to stop the van."

"All of a sudden, there was a lot of gunfire, and we saw people blocking the road with large stones and pieces of wood. We were terrified, she admitted.

They moved to a small hotel after the gunfire subsided and are now waiting for further instructions from the Spanish embassy.

Their Spanish guide told AFP, "We cannot go to Bahir Dar, we cannot go to Gondar, we cannot go anywhere."

The atmosphere in Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its rock-hewn churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, was "calmer," a local claimed.

"We can hear gunshots here and there, but it wasn't like yesterday morning," he said.

Last week, fano fighters seized control of the city and Lalibela Airport.

At the weekend, the authorities announced that they had detained those accountable for "the security crisis" in Amhara.

Also Read: Moscow-bound drones from Ukraine were reportedly shot down by Russia

According to the World Health Organisation, the violence has complicated humanitarian efforts.

While Australia, Britain, and Spain have issued travel warnings to their citizens against visiting Amhara, the United States has "expressed concern" about the clashes