Ethiopian federal forces have pushed more than 150 kilometres into Tigray and retaken three towns about 39 kilometres from the regional capital, Mekelle, Al Jazeera reported on 30 September, citing government-linked sources. The claims cannot be verified, as phone and internet links to Tigray remain cut. The advance follows the recapture of Alamata, while Tigrayan fighters have opened a front in Afar, where a local group says 150,000 people have fled. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) declared “full solidarity” with the government, while Qatar urged a ceasefire. A battle for Mekelle would test whether Eritrea, which Ethiopia accuses of backing the rebels, stays out of the war.