{"id":2159686,"date":"2026-09-23T11:03:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T08:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2159686"},"modified":"2026-09-23T11:03:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T08:03:33","slug":"tigray-rebels-seize-airport-and-clash-with-federal-forces-as-fighting-in-ethiopia-reignites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2159686","title":{"rendered":"Tigray rebels seize airport and clash with federal forces as fighting in Ethiopia reignites"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/47\/23\/1200x675_cmsv2_572634a5-9ff6-5b3c-8b95-74468cc80d8d-9924723.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2928092-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2928092\" data-cid=\"9925305\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928092-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/50\/36\/189x106_cmsv2_8b84ca08-5d39-5697-82ec-76181e56a81c-9925036.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Pope Leo XIV will be visiting France from 25 to 28 September.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Day devoted to the Pope in Catholic schools sparks controversy\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927986-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2927986\" data-cid=\"9924617\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927986-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/46\/17\/189x106_cmsv2_a0864b7d-4484-547d-a208-7d8e0954a403-9924617.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The Ring in Athens\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    The Ring<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Who can afford to live in Greece? The Ring in Athens\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928112-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2928112\" data-cid=\"9925371\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928112-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/53\/71\/189x106_cmsv2_fde5fe82-f1c7-5091-b65b-61329d786eca-9925371.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Iran&apos;s President Masoud Pezeshkian holds an image of late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the 81st session of the General Assembly at UN headquarters, 23 September 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Iran<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Pezeshkian tells UN Iran will not be bullied but will negotiate\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928065-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2928065\" data-cid=\"9924933\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928065-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/33\/189x106_cmsv2_e4f0548d-8a6d-57ec-aca9-e7f1d66dac3e-9924933.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A Syrian woman holds an AK-47 during an anti-Bashar Assad protest after Friday prayers on Friday, June 8, 2012, near Idlib, Syria.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Syria&#8217;s first women graduate from new police academy\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928092-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2928092\" data-cid=\"9925305\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928092-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/50\/36\/189x106_cmsv2_8b84ca08-5d39-5697-82ec-76181e56a81c-9925036.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Pope Leo XIV will be visiting France from 25 to 28 September.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Day devoted to the Pope in Catholic schools sparks controversy\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927986-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2927986\" data-cid=\"9924617\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927986-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/46\/17\/189x106_cmsv2_a0864b7d-4484-547d-a208-7d8e0954a403-9924617.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The Ring in Athens\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    The Ring<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Who can afford to live in Greece? The Ring in Athens\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928112-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2928112\" data-cid=\"9925371\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928112-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/53\/71\/189x106_cmsv2_fde5fe82-f1c7-5091-b65b-61329d786eca-9925371.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Iran&apos;s President Masoud Pezeshkian holds an image of late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the 81st session of the General Assembly at UN headquarters, 23 September 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Iran<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Pezeshkian tells UN Iran will not be bullied but will negotiate\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928065-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2928065\" data-cid=\"9924933\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928065-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/33\/189x106_cmsv2_e4f0548d-8a6d-57ec-aca9-e7f1d66dac3e-9924933.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A Syrian woman holds an AK-47 during an anti-Bashar Assad protest after Friday prayers on Friday, June 8, 2012, near Idlib, Syria.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Syria&#8217;s first women graduate from new police academy\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          News<\/p>\n<p>                          World<\/p>\n<p>                          Ethiopia<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Tigray rebels seize airport and clash with federal forces as fighting in Ethiopia reignites<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/47\/23\/1536x864_cmsv2_572634a5-9ff6-5b3c-8b95-74468cc80d8d-9924723.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"FILE: Members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) attend an orientation session in western Oromia, 2 June 2025\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              FILE: Members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) attend an orientation session in western Oromia, 2 June 2025<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspAleksandar Brezar\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1790161413\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-09-23 13:03:33 +02:00\">23\/09\/2026 &#8211; 13:03 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup-overlay js-c-article-share-comment-popup-overlay 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loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        TPLF forces took control of Mekelle airport and fought federal troops at two locations in the Afar region, while Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to three Tigray airports in an apparent collapse of the Pretoria Agreement that ended the 2020-2022 war in the country.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Tigrayan rebels in northern Ethiopia seized control of a key airport and clashed with federal troops in the neighbouring region of Afar on Wednesday, as long-standing tensions spilt into open battle.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Fighting escalated &#8220;since last night in Abala and Erebti (in Afar) between TPLF and federal forces,&#8221; an NGO source in the region said, requesting anonymity. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are expecting it to expand. We just sent a truck with food to help the people displaced,&#8221; they added.<\/p>\n<p>Abala lies in the mountain ranges that mark the border with Tigray. Erebti lies around 100 kilometres further into Afar.<\/p>\n<p>Another humanitarian source confirmed clashes in the two locations, as did a foreign security source in Ethiopia.<\/p>\n<p>A former TPLF senior official said the rebels were in control of Berhale, Erebti, Abala, Megale, Dalul and Konoba in Afar.<\/p>\n<p>The federal forces are &#8220;fast-retreating&#8221;, he added.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, local and security sources said Tigrayan forces were in control of the airport in the regional capital Mekelle.<\/p>\n<p>Ethiopian Airlines said it had suspended flights to three airports in Tigray \u2014 Mekelle, Axum and Shire \u2014 &#8220;due to the current situation&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While we were on our way to the airport for work, our supervisor called the driver and told him that the airport had been taken over by Tigray forces. Since there were no flights, he told us to return home,&#8221; an employee at Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle said.<\/p>\n<p>A foreign security source based in Ethiopia confirmed the information.<\/p>\n<p>A small number of federal police guard the airport and their situation was unknown.<\/p>\n<p>Between 2020 and 2022, the Tigray People&#8217;s Liberation Front (TPLF) fought a devastating war with the federal government that resulted in the deaths of some 600,000 people, according to African Union estimates.<\/p>\n<p>Sporadic clashes in recent months have raised fears of a return to war.<\/p>\n<h2>Abiy under fire<\/h2>\n<p>Ethiopia faces multiple insurgencies, including in its most populous regions, Oromia and Amhara.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, the TPLF announced it had joined a seven-group military alliance dubbed Ethiopian Peoples&#8217; Forces Alliance for Survival aiming to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed&#8217;s government and install a transitional administration. <\/p>\n<p>The alliance also includes Amhara nationalist Fano militias \u2014 who fought alongside federal forces against the TPLF during the last war \u2014 and the Oromo Liberation Army, an active insurgency in Ethiopia&#8217;s most populous region, along with four groups from three other regions, making up half of the country&#8217;s 12 regional states.<\/p>\n<p>The TPLF ruled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being sidelined by the rise of Abiy, which eventually triggered the war in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>The Pretoria Peace Agreement ended the war and maintained an uneasy calm until late 2025, when clashes resumed.<\/p>\n<p>The federal government has since launched drone strikes in Tigray and massed troops at the regional border.<\/p>\n<p>Rights groups have accused the TPLF of a campaign of forced recruitment this year as it prepares for renewed fighting.<\/p>\n<p>The region has not recovered from the last war, with around 1 million people still displaced and many parts of the peace deal unfulfilled.<\/p>\n<p>Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 partly for brokering a peace agreement with neighbouring Eritrea.<\/p>\n<h2>Good friends and neighbours<\/h2>\n<p>The federal government has a significant military advantage, having ramped up production of military drones since the last war.<\/p>\n<p>Yet the TPLF&#8217;s Tigray Defence Forces retain a significant inherited arsenal from their years at the helm of Ethiopia&#8217;s military before 2018, including tanks, artillery, long-range guided rockets and ballistic missiles documented by open-source military analysts during the 2020-2022 war. <\/p>\n<p>Ethiopia&#8217;s Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos said in June that TPLF hardliners had been &#8220;actively accumulating and acquiring new arms&#8221; in violation of the Pretoria Agreement.<\/p>\n<p>Neighbouring countries have also been implicated in backing the rebels.<\/p>\n<p>ACLED conflict monitoring group assessed earlier this year that Eritrean forces had moved troops toward western Tigray in coordination with the TDF and that Eritrea was providing weapons and hosting Tigrayan fighters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\" id=\"abe-article-related-1\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Former enemies form alliance to overthrow Ethiopia&#8217;s Abiy Ahmed<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Troubled waters: Why is a Nile dam causing such tension?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ethiopia&#8217;s government formally accused Sudan&#8217;s armed forces in May of providing &#8220;arms and financial support&#8221; to TPLF-linked forces and described Sudan as &#8220;a hub of anti-Ethiopian forces&#8221;. Sudan denied the allegation. <\/p>\n<p>Locked in a long-running dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile, Egypt is assessed by analysts at the Soufan Center as providing diplomatic cover and logistical support to Ethiopian opposition factions, although no direct weapons transfers to the TPLF have been documented.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-contributors c-article-contributors-supplementary u-margin-top-2 u-padding-top-2\">\n<p>Additional sources<strong> \u2022 AFP<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span 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class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/87\/320x180_cmsv2_9e36682d-2934-5d0c-99d3-1c614fee00a1-9924987.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A Russian Mi-8 helicopter crossed the Polish border.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russian military helicopter violates Polish airspace<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928103-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928103\" data-cid=\"9925084\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928103-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/50\/84\/320x180_cmsv2_2363d0dd-c84f-560b-af0b-e3c41dc77cfc-9925084.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"File Photo. A mine for rare earth elements including neodymium and praseodymium which are essential for the production of permanent magnets in Brazil\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Norway says Europe&#8217;s &#8216;largest&#8217; rare-earth mine plan set for 2028<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928094-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928094\" data-cid=\"9925050\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928094-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/50\/50\/320x180_cmsv2_de81d247-da83-56f5-a191-2afbca25c802-9925050.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    EU Commission poised to back Albania&#8217;s 2027 accession deadline<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927504-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927504\" data-cid=\"9922016\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Fuel taxes in Europe: Which country taxes petrol the most?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927863-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927863\" data-cid=\"9924049\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    El Ni\u00f1o transforms Atacama desert as thousands of hectares burst into bloom<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927773-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927773\" data-cid=\"9923538\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    &#8216;I&#8217;m done with medical abuse&#8217;: actor Arnaud Denis dies by euthanasia in Belgium<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927726-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927726\" data-cid=\"9923181\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Exclusive: EU sounds alarm over weapons brought back from Ukraine<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926811-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2926811\" data-cid=\"9918912\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Why young Europeans are struggling to get on the property ladder<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Tigrayan rebels in northern Ethiopia seized control of a key airport and clashed with federal troops in the neighbouring region of Afar on Wednesday, as long-standing tensions spilt into open battle.Fighting escalated &#8220;since last night in Abala and Erebti (in Afar) between TPLF and federal forces,&#8221; an NGO source in the region said, requesting anonymity.&#8221;We are expecting it to expand. We just sent a truck with food to help the people displaced,&#8221; they added.Abala lies in the mountain ranges that mark the border with Tigray. Erebti lies around 100 kilometres further into Afar.Another humanitarian source confirmed clashes in the two locations, as did a foreign security source in Ethiopia.A former TPLF senior official said the rebels were in control of Berhale, Erebti, Abala, Megale, Dalul and Konoba in Afar.The federal forces are &#8220;fast-retreating&#8221;, he added.Meanwhile, local and security sources said Tigrayan forces were in control of the airport in the regional capital Mekelle.Ethiopian Airlines said it had suspended flights to three airports in Tigray \u2014 Mekelle, Axum and Shire \u2014 &#8220;due to the current situation&#8221;.&#8221;While we were on our way to the airport for work, our supervisor called the driver and told him that the airport had been taken over by Tigray forces. Since there were no flights, he told us to return home,&#8221; an employee at Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle said.A foreign security source based in Ethiopia confirmed the information.A small number of federal police guard the airport and their situation was unknown.Between 2020 and 2022, the Tigray People&#8217;s Liberation Front (TPLF) fought a devastating war with the federal government that resulted in the deaths of some 600,000 people, according to African Union estimates.Sporadic clashes in recent months have raised fears of a return to war.Abiy under fireEthiopia faces multiple insurgencies, including in its most populous regions, Oromia and Amhara.On Sunday, the TPLF announced it had joined a seven-group military alliance dubbed Ethiopian Peoples&#8217; Forces Alliance for Survival aiming to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed&#8217;s government and install a transitional administration.The alliance also includes Amhara nationalist Fano militias \u2014 who fought alongside federal forces against the TPLF during the last war \u2014 and the Oromo Liberation Army, an active insurgency in Ethiopia&#8217;s most populous region, along with four groups from three other regions, making up half of the country&#8217;s 12 regional states.The TPLF ruled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being sidelined by the rise of Abiy, which eventually triggered the war in 2020.The Pretoria Peace Agreement ended the war and maintained an uneasy calm until late 2025, when clashes resumed.The federal government has since launched drone strikes in Tigray and massed troops at the regional border.Rights groups have accused the TPLF of a campaign of forced recruitment this year as it prepares for renewed fighting.The region has not recovered from the last war, with around 1 million people still displaced and many parts of the peace deal unfulfilled.Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 partly for brokering a peace agreement with neighbouring Eritrea.Good friends and neighboursThe federal government has a significant military advantage, having ramped up production of military drones since the last war.Yet the TPLF&#8217;s Tigray Defence Forces retain a significant inherited arsenal from their years at the helm of Ethiopia&#8217;s military before 2018, including tanks, artillery, long-range guided rockets and ballistic missiles documented by open-source military analysts during the 2020-2022 war.Ethiopia&#8217;s Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos said in June that TPLF hardliners had been &#8220;actively accumulating and acquiring new arms&#8221; in violation of the Pretoria Agreement.Neighbouring countries have also been implicated in backing the rebels.ACLED conflict monitoring group assessed earlier this year that Eritrean forces had moved troops toward western Tigray in coordination with the TDF and that Eritrea was providing weapons and hosting Tigrayan fighters.Ethiopia&#8217;s government formally accused Sudan&#8217;s armed forces in May of providing &#8220;arms and financial support&#8221; to TPLF-linked forces and described Sudan as &#8220;a hub of anti-Ethiopian forces&#8221;. Sudan denied the allegation.Locked in a long-running dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile, Egypt is assessed by analysts at the Soufan Center as providing diplomatic cover and logistical support to Ethiopian opposition factions, although no direct weapons transfers to the TPLF have been documented.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/09\/23\/tigray-rebels-seize-airport-and-clash-with-federal-forces-as-fighting-in-ethiopia-reignite&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/47\/23\/1200x675_cmsv2_572634a5-9ff6-5b3c-8b95-74468cc80d8d-9924723.jpg&#8221;] Europe News Day devoted to the Pope in Catholic schools sparks controversy The Ring Who can afford to live in Greece? The Ring in Athens Iran Pezeshkian tells UN Iran will not be bullied but will negotiate No Comment Syria&#8217;s first women graduate from new police academy Europe News Day devoted to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2159686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2159686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2159686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2159686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2159686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}