TPLF-Led Forces Seize 3 Tigray Airports, Clash With ENDF After 7-Group Alliance Forms
Updated
Updated · ACLED · Sep 23
TPLF-Led Forces Seize 3 Tigray Airports, Clash With ENDF After 7-Group Alliance Forms
3 articles · Updated · ACLED · Sep 23
Summary
TPLF-led Tigray Defense Forces took airports in Mekelle, Aksum and Shire on Sept. 23 and fought ENDF troops alongside the Amhara Fano National Movement near Kobo-Tumuga.
Clashes also spread along the Zata, Dinqa and Sekota lines on the Tigray-Amhara border and the Tonsa line on the Tigray-Afar border, marking a sharp escalation from weeks of lower-intensity fighting.
The flare-up followed Sunday’s launch of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, a 7-group coalition formed to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
ACLED said the airport seizures matter less militarily than politically because TPLF already controls Tigray; the bigger risk is coordinated copycat action by allied insurgent groups that could further stretch the ENDF.
Could the unprecedented 2026 rebel alliance finally topple Ethiopia's federal government, or will devastating drone strikes crush the uprising?
With airports seized and peace treaties shattered, what hidden geopolitical motives are driving the sudden collapse of Ethiopia's fragile ceasefire?
Ethiopia on the Brink: The September 2026 Mekelle Airport Seizure, Collapse of the Pretoria Agreement, and the Humanitarian Crisis Threatening Millions
Overview
In September 2026, Tigrayan forces seized Mekelle’s airport, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend all flights and isolating the region just as renewed fighting erupted along the Tigray-Afar border. This escalation triggered fresh waves of civilian displacement and widespread panic, with families in Mekelle rushing to withdraw cash amid fears of siege. The conflict’s roots trace back to unresolved territorial disputes and shifting alliances, including Eritrea’s support for Tigrayan and Fano militias to weaken the federal government. As military redeployments created security vacuums, aid agencies struggled to respond, facing severe funding shortfalls while millions risked losing life-saving assistance.