Tigray declares ‘defensive war’ as forces seize airport, clash with federal troops

Tigrayan forces seized control of the main airport in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region, overnight on Wednesday, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend all flights to the region and raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020–2022 civil war.

Three local sources, including a security source, told Reuters that fighters aligned with the Tigray People's Liberation Front took control of Alula Aba Nega Airport from a small contingent of federal police. An airport employee told AFP that workers were called and told to turn back because "the airport had been taken over by Tigray forces". The state-owned airline said on social media it had suspended flights to Mekelle, Axum, and Shire "due to the current situation in Tigray region". No other airline operates scheduled flights to the region.aljazeera+2

Hours later, the Tigray regional government declared it had entered a "defensive war" against federal troops.reuters+1

Fighting Spreads Beyond Tigray

The confrontation quickly expanded beyond the region's borders. Multiple humanitarian and security sources told AFP that fighting erupted overnight between TPLF forces and Ethiopian federal troops in the neighboring Afar region, at Abala and Erebti. A former senior TPLF official told AFP that Tigrayan forces had taken control of six locations in Afar, claiming federal forces were "fast retreating".freemalaysiatoday+1

The Tigray regional authorities alleged that aircraft, drones, and artillery had been used against several areas of Tigray on September 22 before federal forces launched a ground offensive on Wednesday. The federal government had not publicly confirmed the ground offensive or responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.kulu-media+1

A Fragile Peace Unravels

The escalation follows the TPLF's announcement on Sunday that it had joined six other armed groups — including the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Army — in a new coalition called the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. The New York Times reported that analysts say the rebels lack the means to topple Abiy, who won a resounding reelection in June, but warned any return to war could be devastating.nytimes+1

The 2020–2022 Tigray war killed an estimated 600,000 people, according to African Union estimates. The Pretoria Peace Agreement signed in November 2022 ended the fighting but left key issues unresolved, including disputes over territory and displaced populations. An uneasy calm held until late 2025, when clashes resumed.firstpost+1

Tensions have been compounded by recent federal drone strikes in Tigray. On September 20, a strike destroyed a truck carrying more than 41 tons of food aid bound for displaced people in Sheraro, drawing condemnation from the United States. Abiy's spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, accused alliance members of collaborating with the financial backing of neighboring Eritrea, a charge Asmara has repeatedly denied.ghanaweb+2

Regional Stakes

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Monday he was "deeply concerned by the worsening security situation," according to the New York Times. Analysts warn that a return to full-scale conflict in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country, could draw Sudan and Eritrea into a broader regional war at a time when wars in the Middle East have already unsettled the Horn of Africa.nytimes

Jawar Mohammed, an Ethiopian political analyst, told Reuters he did not believe the TPLF had the confidence for a full-scale conflict. "It could be flexing muscles to appeal to the international community to step in and activate Pretoria more strongly," he said.cnbcafrica