NAIROBI (Kenya), Oct 3 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- An armed group allied with Ethiopia's federal government said Saturday it had captured the main airport serving Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, as government forces push deeper into the region following more than a week of intense fighting, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
The Tigray Peace Forces announced it had taken Alula Aba Nega Airport and was advancing into Mekelle, marking a major development in the government's counteroffensive against an alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
“We have taken full control of Mekelle Alula Aba Nega Airport. We are currently clearing the city of Mekelle.
“Peace is around the corner as the TPLF mafia leaders fled towards Eritrea,” the group said in a statement posted on X.
The claim that TPLF leaders had fled toward Eritrea could not, however, be independently verified.
Ethiopian government forces have also taken control of the airport, according to sources familiar with the military situation, but Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office has not publicly commented on the latest developments.
Alula Aba Nega Airport had been under Tigrayan control since the latest major escalation began in September.
Tigrayan forces seized the airports in Mekelle and Shire on Sept 23, with Axum Airport also reported to have fallen under their control. Ethiopian Airlines subsequently suspended flights to all three destinations.
The latest advance follows a rapid counteroffensive by federal forces and allied fighters towards Mekelle.
The TPLF is part of a broader alliance of armed opposition groups that launched an offensive against government positions last week, opening several fronts in northern Ethiopia.
The renewed hostilities represent the most serious escalation since the 2020-2022 war between Ethiopia's federal government and Tigrayan forces.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU