Tigray Forces Seize Mekelle Airport as Ethiopian Conflict Escalates
Tigray forces in northern Ethiopia seized the main airport in Mekelle, raising fears of a renewed civil war as federal authorities and TPLF exchange blame over escalating drone strikes and military offensives.
Tigray Forces Seize Airport in Mekelle Amid Renewed Fighting
Forces from the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia have seized control of the main airport in the regional capital of Mekelle, local residents reported on Wednesday. The regional administration announced that its fighters have entered into a defensive war against federal government forces, hours after taking control of the facility previously held by the federal police. Ethiopian Airlines announced the suspension of all flights to Mekelle, Shire, and Axum following the escalation, which has sparked severe concerns over the potential resumption of a full-scale civil war.
Simultaneously, an advisor to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed claimed that the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched a sweeping offensive against government forces in the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. The current escalation follows a series of drone strikes reported in the area. Authorities in Tigray stated that at least 14 people were killed and 22 others were wounded in a strike on the southern Tigrayan town of Alamata. Alamata Mayor Mogus Shipraw reported that more than five drones and a fighter jet carried out over 21 strikes starting early Wednesday morning, targeting civilian areas including two high schools.
"This caused severe psychological trauma in our city. Our people were in a state of panic," Shipraw explained, noting that all casualties were civilians.
The devastating 2020-2022 Tigray war officially ended with a peace agreement brokered by the African Union in November 2022, estimated to be one of the deadliest conflicts of the century with hundreds of thousands of casualties. However, both sides now accuse each other of violating the Pretoria Agreement. On Sunday, TPLF forces announced an alliance with six other armed groups across Ethiopia with the stated aim of overthrowing the central government.
