Airstrikes and artillery fire hit northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, causing at least 17 deaths as federal government and rebel forces clash for nearly two weeks. Federal troops recently took control of Mekelle, the region’s capital, leading to exchanges of fire with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the main political group in the area, which seeks to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Neither Abiy’s office nor the TPLF responded to requests for comments on these events.
Experts warn that the fighting could lead to a broader conflict, with Ethiopia accusing Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting the rebels, which these countries deny. Diplomatic ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which previously fought a border war, were cut due to these allegations. The ongoing battles, which intensified from September 23, are the worst violence seen since the 2020-2022 civil war, which caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.
On Monday, intense artillery exchanges occurred near Mai Tsebri, and airstrikes led to additional casualties in Adwa and Sheraro. Meanwhile, daily life in Mekelle began to normalize as services were restored following the recent fighting. The US warned both Ethiopia and Eritrea against escalating their conflict, cautioning that this could harm US relations with both nations. Analysts are monitoring the Ethiopian military’s movements near the Eritrean border.
With information from Reuters
