Tigrayan rebels in northern Ethiopia have seized control of airports and clashed with federal troops in the neighbouring Afar region. Multiple sources confirmed the fighting, which broke out in the towns of Abala and Erebti late on Tuesday. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fought a devastating civil war with the federal government from 2020 to 2022, resulting in an estimated 600,000 deaths. Sporadic clashes and drone strikes in recent months had raised fears of a return to war.
The TPLF has taken control of several towns in Afar, including Abala, Erebti, Berhale, Megale, Dalul, and Konoba, according to a former TPLF senior official. Federal forces have been based in Abala in recent months, but the TPLF is reportedly in control of the town. Erebti lies around 100 kilometres further into Afar. The federal forces are "fast-retreating", the former official said. However, this information could not be confirmed by AFP.
The Tigray regional government said it was responding to "intensive bombardments" by federal forces on Tuesday, involving aircraft, drones, and artillery. The Tigray army "has been instructed to counter the attack and genocidal invasion launched against us, and has entered into a defensive battle," the government said in a statement posted on Facebook. These attacks could not be independently verified by AFP.
Tigrayan forces have seized control of airports in the regional cities of Mekelle, Shire, and Axum. Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to all three airports. An employee at Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle said the airport was taken over by Tigray forces, and staff were told to return home. A small number of federal police guard the airport, but their situation is unknown.
A former TPLF leader, Getachew Reda, who joined the federal government, described the new fighting as "heartbreaking". He said the TPLF leadership had launched an "all-out offensive" against government positions in Afar and Amhara. However, AFP could not independently verify the fighting in Amhara. The TPLF announced on Sunday that it had joined a new alliance of anti-government armed groups from across Ethiopia.
The TPLF ruled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being sidelined with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, leading to the civil war. The Pretoria Peace Agreement ended the war but maintained an uneasy calm until late 2025, when clashes resumed. The federal government has since launched drone strikes in Tigray and massed troops at the regional border. Rights groups have accused the TPLF of forced recruitment this year as it prepares for renewed conflict.
The region has not recovered from the last war, with around one million people still displaced and many aspects of the peace agreement unfulfilled. Ethiopian authorities have accused the TPLF of allying with neighbouring Eritrea and Ethiopian armed groups. The federal government has a significant military advantage, having increased production of military drones since the last conflict.
Key points
- The TPLF has seized control of several airports in northern Ethiopia, including Mekelle, Shire, and Axum.
- The fighting has resulted in the displacement of around one million people, with many aspects of the peace agreement unfulfilled.
- The federal government has a significant military advantage, having increased production of military drones since the last conflict.
