Fighting has intensified across northern Ethiopia after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said the region was now in a “full-blown war” with the federal government.
The latest escalation has raised concerns that Ethiopia could be heading back into a major conflict less than four years after a peace agreement ended the devastating Tigray war.
According to reports on Thursday, Tigrayan forces seized control of three airports in the region on Wednesday and launched attacks into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions.
Ethiopian Airlines suspends flights
The renewed fighting has also disrupted air travel.
Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire following the takeover of the airports by Tigrayan forces.
Reports from the area said fighting had spread to several locations, including Abala and Erebti in Afar.
The situation has made it increasingly difficult to assess developments on the ground because of security concerns and limited independent access.
Army reports heavy casualties
Ethiopia’s military said its forces killed 272 Tigrayan fighters and wounded another 260 during a counter-offensive in the Amhara region.
However, the casualty figures have not been independently verified, according to AFP.
The TPLF and federal authorities have also accused each other of triggering the latest escalation.
TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa told AFP that the situation had developed into a “full-blown war.”
2022 peace agreement under pressure
The latest clashes follow months of rising tensions between the federal government and Tigrayan authorities.
The fighting threatens the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which brought an end to the 2020–2022 Tigray conflict.
That war caused a devastating humanitarian crisis and is estimated to have killed more than 600,000 people, according to African Union estimates.
Conflict-monitoring group ACLED reported that clashes have now been recorded along several fronts involving Tigrayan, federal, Amhara and Afar forces.
Fears of wider regional conflict
The renewed fighting has also raised concerns about the possibility of a broader conflict in the Horn of Africa.
Particular attention is being paid to neighboring Eritrea, where tensions with Ethiopia have increased amid accusations and military concerns involving the wider conflict.
Analysts and regional observers have warned that further escalation could extend beyond Tigray and create additional instability across northern Ethiopia and neighboring areas.
For now, fighting remains active across several areas, with humanitarian and security concerns growing as the situation develops.
