Ethiopia’s federal army and pro-government fighters have recaptured the main airport in the capital of the northern Tigray region, with the rebels seen leaving the city, according to multiple unnamed sources.
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rebels → recapture → sources
The Ethiopian National Defence Forces regained control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, one source with knowledge of events in the city and a humanitarian source told Reuters news agency on Saturday.
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source → regain → Saturday
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conflict → spread → ties
conflict in Ethiopia expand across the region?
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conflict → expand → region
The airport, which is about 10km (6 miles) from the centre of Mekelle, was one of three airfields in the region that were seized by the rebel forces at the start of the fighting on September 23.
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that → seize → September
The fighters, as well as the leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), were seen retreating from the city, a local journalist and residents told the AFP news agency.
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journalist → see → agency
The journalist added that federal forces had not yet been seen inside Mekelle.
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forces → add → Mekelle
“I am concerned that government and public property could be exposed to looting because there are no security forces in the city,” a resident told AFP.
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resident → expose → AFP
“I am worried that lawlessness could spread in the city, and I am also afraid for my life.
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I → spread → life
I want us to quickly return to law and order,” added another resident.
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resident → want → law
Al Jazeera could not independently confirm these claims.
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Jazeera → confirm → claims
Media access is currently heavily restricted in Ethiopia, and there have been significant communications blackouts.
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access → restrict → Ethiopia
Last month, rebels announced the formation of a seven-party rebel coalition led by the TPLF, the same armed group that fought in the 2020-2022 civil war against federal forces from Addis Ababa.
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that → announce → Ababa
The new coalition includes rebel groups of varying sizes from across the country.
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coalition → include → country
Later that month, the coalition started an offensive, seizing three airports around the contested Tigray state and engaging in fighting on the borders with Amhara and Afar states.
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coalition → start → states
The government is now engaged in a counteroffensive, pushing into Tigrayan territory along three axes towards Mekelle, according to the Critical Threats Project, part of the American Enterprise Institute think tank.
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government → engage → tank
Fighting has so far been concentrated in Tigray.
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Fighting → concentrate → Tigray
However, rebels have reportedly carried out drone attacks on Addis Ababa.
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rebels → carry → Ababa
The TPLF and government have not commented on developments on the ground.
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TPLF → comment → ground
The fighting has seen drone attacks, intensified forced conscription, and attacks on civilian infrastructure, according to Amnesty International, a global rights group.
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fighting → see → International
The renewed conflict has not yet reached the heights of the Tigray war, which lasted from 2020 to 2022 and saw hundreds of thousands of deaths, but it is quickly taking on an international dimension.
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it → renew → dimension
Risk of conflict spreading
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Risk → spread → conflict
The government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing the opposition coalition.
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government → accuse → coalition
Khartoum and Cairo have denied involvement.
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Khartoum → deny → involvement
Eritrea has severed diplomatic ties with Ethiopia over the accusations.
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Eritrea → sever → accusations
On Thursday, Eritrea also denied involvement in the Tigray conflict, and accused Addis Ababa of “pursuing an agenda of incessant hostility”.
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Eritrea → deny → hostility
It also said Ethiopia, which is landlocked, was planning to invade Eritrea to secure sovereign access to the Red Sea coast.
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which → say → coast
The TPLF’s leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, said in a video published on Thursday that “the war is regional and it is a war to control the Red Sea”.
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it → say → Sea
Ethiopia has previously ruled out seeking conflict with Eritrea over access to the coast.
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Ethiopia → rule → coast
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