Tigray Rebels Capture Key Airports As Ethiopia’s Military Reports Counterattack

Fresh clashes have erupted across northern Ethiopia, with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) accusing the federal government of entering a renewed phase of conflict and declaring that the country is now in a “full-blown war.”

The TPLF said its forces took control of three airports in the Tigray region on Wednesday and launched attacks into neighbouring Afar and Amhara states.

Following the escalation, Ethiopian Airlines announced the suspension of flights to airports in Mekelle, Shire and Axum, citing the deteriorating security situation in the region.

Videos and images shared on social media appeared to show military personnel and civilians in Abala, while footage from Mekelle showed residents and vehicles moving through the city after Tigrayan forces claimed control of the regional airport.

The Ethiopian military, however, said it had carried out a counter-offensive in the Amhara region, claiming that its forces killed 272 Tigrayan fighters and wounded 260 others. The figures have not been independently verified.

The renewed hostilities come after months of rising tensions and threaten to undermine the peace agreement signed in 2022, which brought an end to a devastating two-year conflict in Tigray.

The war, one of Ethiopia’s deadliest crises in recent history, resulted in widespread destruction and humanitarian suffering. The African Union estimated that more than 600,000 people died during the conflict.

The latest fighting has also raised concerns that the crisis could spread beyond Ethiopia’s borders, particularly with fears that neighbouring Eritrea could become involved in a broader regional confrontation.

The international community has urged restraint and a return to dialogue to prevent a further escalation of violence in the Horn of Africa.