The Tigray Peace Forces (TPF), a pro-government militia, said on 2 October it had captured Milazat, about 20 kilometres south-east of Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Its commander claimed the forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had been wiped out; the claim cannot be verified while communications with Tigray remain cut. Residents said banks and shops in Mekelle had closed and some senior TPLF leaders had left. A battle for the city would push more civilians into Afar and Amhara and raise pressure on Eritrea, which shares an 800-kilometre border with Tigray. Watch whether federal forces enter Mekelle or negotiate its handover.
Sources
- Reuters via Al-Monitor: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/10/ethiopian-forces-near-tigray-capital-fears-grow-wider-conflict
- Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/2/ethiopian-govt-aligned-group-claims-close-to-full-control-of-tigray-region
- Garowe Online: https://www.garoweonline.com/en/world/africa/ethiopian-forces-advance-toward-mekelle-as-tigray-fighting-intensifies
- OkayAfrica (Today in Africa, 2 Oct): https://www.okayafrica.com/today-in-africa-october-2-2026-ethiopia-eritrea-rift-raises-regional-war-fears-eu-suspends-aid-to-sierra-leone/1440442