Ethiopia’s federal army announced it has successfully repelled assaults from Tigrayan forces and allied groups in northern regions bordering Tigray, according to a statement released following the outbreak of hostilities on Wednesday. The military reported that combat occurred in areas of Amhara region near the Tigray boundary, claiming to have inflicted significant casualties on attacking forces and confiscated weapons. The army has not provided additional details about the scope or specific locations of the engagements.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which administers the Tigray region, has not responded to the army’s assertions, and independent verification of these claims remains unavailable due to reporting restrictions in the area. Unconfirmed accounts suggest TPLF-aligned forces have conducted operations in neighboring Afar and Amhara regions, with one humanitarian worker reporting heavy artillery exchanges near the town of Yallo. A TPLF vice-president characterized the situation as “full-blown war” in remarks to news agencies.
The current violence represents a critical deterioration in relations between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and Tigray leadership following their devastating conflict from 2020 to 2022, which ended through an African Union-mediated agreement. Both parties have recently accused each other of breaching the ceasefire terms. The previous war resulted in catastrophic humanitarian consequences, with estimates suggesting approximately 600,000 fatalities.
On Wednesday, the TPLF seized operational control of three airports from federal police forces, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend all service to Tigray. The airport takeover followed reports of recent drone strikes in the region and came days after the TPLF announced a coalition with six additional armed groups aimed at removing the current government from power. In Mekelle, Tigray’s largest city, residents reported that local forces assumed control of the airport but that fighting remained concentrated outside the city, with residents describing the urban environment as tense but stable, though concerned about potential disruptions to economic activity and cash access.
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