Tigray Forces Seize Mekelle Airport as Conflict Spreads to Afar
Tigrayan fighters captured key airports and advanced into Afar region, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend all regional flights.
Key points
- Tigrayan rebels seized control of airports in Mekelle, Shire, and Axum, forcing Ethiopian Airlines to suspend all flights to these cities.
- Fighting expanded into the Afar region, with clashes reported in Abala and Erebti, as humanitarian agencies warned of growing displacement.
- The TPLF joined a new anti-government alliance, escalating tensions amid unfulfilled peace terms and continued federal military buildup.
Tigrayan forces have seized control of major airports in northern Ethiopia and engaged federal troops in the neighboring Afar region, according to multiple sources cited by AFP on Wednesday. The escalation marks a significant shift from sporadic clashes to open conflict, threatening to reignite the devastating civil war that killed hundreds of thousands between 2020 and 2022.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) announced it was responding to what it described as intensive bombardments by federal forces, including aircraft and artillery. While federal authorities in Addis Ababa had not issued an official statement, a former TPLF official claimed rebel fighters were in control of several towns in Afar, describing federal positions as rapidly retreating.
Airports Seized in Northern Region
Ethiopian Airlines suspended all flights to Mekelle, Shire, and Axum after reports indicated Tigrayan forces had taken over the local airfields. An employee at the Alula Aba Nega airport in Mekelle told AFP that staff were ordered to return home after the facility was secured by rebel troops. The status of federal police stationed at these sites remains unknown, highlighting the immediate disruption to civilian infrastructure.
Fighting Spreads into Afar Territory
Humanitarian workers reported that combat broke out late Tuesday in the towns of Abala and Erebti, located roughly 100 kilometers into Afar. A foreign security source confirmed the clashes and stated that the TPLF had secured Abala, a strategic location in the mountain ranges marking the border with Tigray. Humanitarian agencies have already begun dispatching food supplies to assist displaced residents, warning that the conflict is expected to expand further.
Broader Coalition and Regional Tensions
This latest escalation follows the TPLF's announcement on Sunday that it had joined a new alliance of anti-government armed groups across Ethiopia. The region remains fragile, with approximately one million people still displaced from the previous war and many provisions of the Pretoria Peace Agreement unfulfilled. Rights groups have accused the TPLF of forced recruitment this year, while federal authorities have ramped up drone production to maintain a military advantage.
