Afripoli

Ethiopian federal forces take Tigray capital Mekelle

5 October 2026

Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters entered Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, on 4 October after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) announced its withdrawal. The army had retaken the city’s airport a day earlier; the TPLF seized it on 23 September, when the latest fighting began. The TPLF called the retreat a “tactical decision” to spare the city and said its regional government would operate from elsewhere and keep fighting. A shift to guerrilla war in rural Tigray would prolong displacement into Afar and Amhara and keep the Eritrean border tense. Watch who runs Mekelle: federal officials have promised a new interim administration and regional elections within months.

Security · Tags: Ethiopia, Tigray People's Liberation Front

Related Ethiopian forces near Tigray capital as militia takes Milazat 3 October

Sources

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