MEKELLE — Ethiopia’s federal army and pro-government fighters have recaptured Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, capital of the northern Tigray region, with rebels seen leaving the city, Al Jazeera reported Saturday, citing Reuters and AFP sources.
A source with knowledge of events in Mekelle and a humanitarian source told Reuters that the Ethiopian National Defence Forces regained control of the airport, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the city centre. The airfield was one of three seized by rebel forces when fighting resumed on September 23. A local journalist and residents told AFP that fighters and leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) were retreating, and that federal forces had not yet been seen inside the city centre.
Residents voiced fear of looting and lawlessness while security was absent. Al Jazeera said it could not independently confirm the accounts amid heavy media restrictions and communications blackouts. Last month rebels announced a seven-party coalition led by the TPLF — the group that fought federal forces in the 2020–2022 civil war — before seizing regional airports and expanding fighting.
The battlefield shift comes days after Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties amid intensifying northern conflict, a separate development covered earlier this week.
Sources: Al Jazeera (with Reuters and AFP)
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