Forces linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have taken control of airports in northern Ethiopia as clashes with federal troops spread into the neighbouring Afar region, raising fresh concerns over a return to large-scale conflict.
The developments on Wednesday came amid escalating tensions between the Tigray regional authorities and the federal government, following months of sporadic clashes and drone strikes.
Humanitarian and security sources told AFP that fighting broke out late Tuesday in the Afar towns of Abala and Erebti between Tigrayan forces and federal troops. A humanitarian worker said aid agencies were preparing for further displacement as the fighting continued.
A foreign security source confirmed the clashes and said Tigrayan forces had taken control of Abala, which lies close to the border with Tigray. Erebti is about 100 kilometres farther into Afar.
A former senior TPLF official also claimed that Tigrayan forces controlled Berhale, Erebti, Abala, Megale, Dalul and Konoba in Afar, although the claims could not be independently verified.
The Tigray regional government said it had ordered its forces into what it described as a defensive battle after alleged attacks by federal forces involving aircraft, drones and artillery. The claims could not be independently verified, while federal authorities had yet to issue a detailed public response at the time of reporting.
In Tigray itself, Tigrayan forces took control of airports in the regional capital, Mekelle, as well as Shire and Axum, according to local and security sources. Ethiopian Airlines subsequently suspended flights to all three airports, citing the security situation in the region.
An employee at Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle told AFP that airport workers were instructed to return home after being informed that Tigrayan forces had taken control of the facility.
The latest escalation follows the TPLF’s announcement on Sunday that it had joined an alliance of seven armed groups opposed to the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The coalition includes groups from several parts of Ethiopia, although the extent of military cooperation among them remains unclear.
The TPLF and federal government fought a devastating war from 2020 to 2022. The conflict ended with the Pretoria Peace Agreement in November 2022, but key issues under the agreement have remained unresolved and tensions have risen again since late 2025.
The African Union estimates that about 600,000 people were killed during the 2020–2022 conflict, while around one million people remain displaced from Tigray.
The TPLF previously dominated Ethiopia’s political system for decades before Abiy became prime minister in 2018. Relations between the federal government and Tigray deteriorated sharply before the outbreak of the 2020 war.
The latest fighting has also raised concerns about the wider security situation in Ethiopia, which faces armed insurgencies and political tensions in other regions, including Amhara and Oromia.
With fighting now reported beyond Tigray and commercial flights suspended to three regional airports, the latest developments have added pressure to an already fragile post-war security situation.
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