Ethiopian Forces Regain Mekelle Airport, City Security Unclear

Ethiopian federal forces have regained control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, according to sources familiar with events and a city resident, as renewed fighting in the northern Tigray region intensifies. The airport’s status has been reported by multiple sources, but it remains unclear whether federal forces have entered Mekelle or who is providing security inside the city. A person with knowledge of developments and a humanitarian source said the Ethiopian National Defence Forces had retaken the airport. A Mekelle resident also told reporters that government forces had taken it. The airport was among three airfields in Tigray seized by opposition forces when fighting began on September 23. A local journalist and residents said Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters and leaders were seen leaving Mekelle. The journalist said federal forces had not yet been seen inside the city. These accounts have not established who controls the city, and restricted media access and communications disruptions have made it difficult to verify conditions on the ground.