.Tensions in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have escalated back into armed conflict, with forces affiliated with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) launching operations in several key areas and claiming control over airports in Mekelle, Shire, and Axum. Consequently, Ethiopian Airlines has suspended its flights to all three cities.
Clashes also erupted between Tigray forces and federal government troops in the neighboring Afar region towns of Abala and Erbati. While an external security source confirmed Tigrayan control over Abala, other territorial claims and reports of federal troop retreats remain unverified independently. The Tigray regional government stated that its actions were a response to alleged heavy bombardments by federal forces using aircraft, drones, and artillery.
The renewed crisis follows the formation of a new alliance between rebel forces and various armed groups across Ethiopia, including the Amhara Fano militia, aimed at joint operations against the federal government. This resurgence threatens to undo the relative peace established after the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray war that ended with the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, raising widespread fears of a full-scale regional conflict.
