TPLF Says It Has Withdrawn From Mekelle

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said it had withdrawn from Mekelle, the regional capital, as Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters moved into the city after renewed fighting. Reports on October 3 and 4 confirmed that federal-aligned forces had retaken Mekelle’s airport, while the extent of their control across the city remained uncertain amid severe communications disruptions. The TPLF said in a statement on Saturday, October 3, that it had pulled out of Mekelle. The group said Tigray’s regional government would temporarily operate from elsewhere, according to its statement. Federal forces and the Tigray Peace Force, a group aligned with the government, were reported to have entered the city. A local journalist said on Sunday that federal troops were patrolling and manning key institutions, though the available accounts did not establish how broadly or durably government forces controlled Mekelle. The airport’s recapture was reported by residents and other sources, but the date and circumstances of the handover were not clear.