Ethiopian federal forces and allied militia have retaken Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)-led rebel alliance, in what analysts call the worst escalation of violence since the 2020–2022 civil war. Airstrikes and artillery fire hit northern Tigray overnight into October 5, killing at least 17 people, according to a humanitarian bulletin circulated among aid groups.
The Battle for Mekelle
Federal Ethiopian forces and fighters of the Tigray Peace Force — a pro-government militia — regained control of Mekelle over the weekend of October 3–4, 2026, Reuters confirmed on October 5, citing three sources including a Mekelle resident and a humanitarian source. The TPLF itself confirmed in a Facebook statement that it had "temporarily moved out of Mekelle" and would operate from elsewhere, saying the withdrawal was meant to spare the city destruction.
Federal troops first recaptured Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle on October 3, reversing the TPLF's September 23 seizure of the airport, which had forced Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire. By Saturday afternoon, Tigray Peace Force fighters were in the city center, followed by the Ethiopian military. Residents told the Associated Press that life in the city was beginning to return to normal, with shops reopening and phone and internet service restored after a week-long disruption.
The fighting began on September 23, when the TPLF-led opposition alliance launched a major offensive against the Ethiopian military. The 2020–2022 civil war killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions before the Pretoria peace agreement of November 2022 — which the African Union now warns is under threat.
Airstrikes and Civilian Deaths
Overnight into Monday, October 5, airstrikes and artillery fire hit northern Tigray, according to the humanitarian bulletin. Air attacks killed at least 17 people northwest of Mekelle — nine in Adwa and eight in Sheraro, in northwestern Tigray. On Monday morning, federal and Tigrayan forces exchanged heavy artillery fire near the Tekeze River by the town of Mai Tsebri.
Reuters explicitly noted that it could not independently confirm the casualty figures, and the bulletin did not say who launched the strikes. AFP separately reported that a drone strike early Sunday hit a displacement camp at Sheraro — home to thousands displaced by the last war — killing at least eight people, including a child, and seriously wounding six. A witness said a mother, her four children and a grandson were among the dead. Verification is difficult: media are barred from the affected areas and communications remain heavily disrupted.
Regional Tensions Escalate
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting the armed opposition; all three countries have denied the allegations. Last week, Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, and Eritrea then severed diplomatic ties. Ethiopia and Egypt also expelled one diplomat each in a reciprocal row.
On Sunday, October 4, the leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia met in New Alamein, Egypt. According to Reuters, citing two Egyptian security officials and one political official speaking on condition of anonymity, the leaders agreed to coordinate military and intelligence efforts if the conflict spread to the borders Ethiopia shares with Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia. Egypt's presidency spokesman described the meeting only as a consultative summit on regional issues.
The U.S. State Department urged Asmara and Addis Ababa to exercise restraint, warning the conflict would jeopardize U.S. collaboration with both countries. Also on October 5, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was sworn in for another five-year term after his Prosperity Party's landslide win in June's election; in his parliament speech he said Ethiopia's modernization "cannot be realised without sea access" — a line that has long alarmed Eritrea over the Assab port.
Watch: Ethiopian government troops seize Tigray's capital Mekelle — Al Jazeera English's short on the federal forces' seizure of Mekelle after a week of battles, and fears the fighting could draw in neighboring countries.
🎵 Music: Kevin MacLeod – Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Reuters, The Jerusalem Post, AFP via Oman Observer, The National