Ethiopian forces seize Tigray capital Mekelle as TPLF retreats, sources say
Ethiopian government forces and allied militias regained control of Mekelle on Sunday, three sources told Reuters, after the TPLF said it had withdrawn its administration from the Tigrayan capital.
Ethiopian government forces and allied militias have regained control of Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, three sources told Reuters on Sunday.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which leads the opposition alliance ruling the northern region, said in a Facebook statement that it had retreated from the capital and that the regional government would be “temporarily moved out of Mekelle and operate from somewhere else”.
A source close to the pro-government militia, the Tigray Peace Forces, said its fighters entered the centre of Mekelle on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Ethiopian military. A humanitarian source and a Mekelle resident confirmed the city was under government control. The prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The loss of Mekelle is a major blow for the TPLF-led alliance, which launched a large offensive on 23 September against the Ethiopian military. Federal forces and allied fighters have counterattacked quickly, but analysts say the fighting — the worst escalation since the 2020-2022 civil war — threatens to widen into a regional conflict.
Addis Ababa severed diplomatic ties with Eritrea last week, accusing it, Sudan and Egypt of supporting the rebels. All three countries deny the claim.
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