Allied Force Claims Mekelle Airport as Tigray Fighting Rages
The Tigray Peace Forces said its fighters had taken Alula Aba Nega Airport and were moving into Mekelle itself. If confirmed, it would be a significant gain in the government's counteroffensive against an alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
In a statement on the US social media platform X, the group said: "We've taken full control of Mekelle Alula Aba Nega Airport. We're currently clearing the city of Mekelle,"
The group added: "Peace is around the corner as the TPLF mafia leaders fled towards Eritrea."
The assertion that TPLF leaders had fled toward Eritrea could not be independently verified.
Sources familiar with the military situation said Ethiopian government forces had also taken control of the airport. The office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has not publicly addressed the latest developments.
Strategic airport changes hands
Tigrayan forces had held Alula Aba Nega Airport since the current escalation began in September. They captured the airports in Mekelle and Shire on Sept. 23, and Axum Airport was also reported to have come under their control. Ethiopian Airlines then halted flights to all three cities.
The latest push follows a fast-moving offensive by federal troops and allied fighters toward Mekelle.
The TPLF belongs to a wider coalition of armed opposition groups that opened several fronts across northern Ethiopia last week with attacks on government positions.
The renewed violence is the gravest escalation since the 2020-2022 war between the federal government and Tigrayan forces.
Regional diplomatic crisis deepens
The fighting comes amid a fast-deteriorating diplomatic standoff in the region.
This week, Ethiopia shut its embassy in Eritrea and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, accusing Asmara of hostile activities. Eritrea denied the charges and cut diplomatic ties with Ethiopia in response.
Addis Ababa and Cairo have also ordered out each other's diplomats, after Ethiopia accused outside powers of backing its adversaries. Egypt has rejected those allegations.
The African Union has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to show "maximum restraint" and to avoid any steps or statements that could further destabilize the region.
The new fighting threatens to unravel the Pretoria peace agreement of November 2022, which ended two years of devastating war between the federal government and the TPLF.
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