Ethiopia's Tigray War Explodes Again: Rebels Seize 2 Airports, 272 Killed, Hospitals Overwhelmed
Full-scale war has returned to northern Ethiopia as Tigray rebels capture airports, push into neighboring regions, and hospitals struggle with hundreds of wounded.
Ethiopia is plunging back into full-scale war as Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels seize airports, push beyond their region, and overwhelm hospitals with hundreds of wounded patients.
Internet access has been disrupted across northern Ethiopia, a web monitor reported, as fighting resumed between the TPLF and the federal government [249910]. The TPLF is a political and former military group that ruled Tigray, a region in northern Ethiopia, and has been in conflict with Ethiopia's federal government since 2020 [249910].
The rebels have captured two major airports, including the airport in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region [249024][249209]. The government says its forces killed 272 fighters after stopping a rebel offensive, though no independent confirmation was available [249143][249024].
Fighting has spread beyond Tigray into the Afar and Amhara regions, with Ethiopian forces battling overnight to push back rebel attacks [250498][248593]. The TPLF has now seized control of several airports and formed a new alliance of seven rebel groups united against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed [250805].
A series of drone strikes has killed at least 14 people and injured 22 others in the town of Alamata, according to regional authorities [249209]. The mayor of Alamata accused federal forces of targeting schools in the attack [249209].
The renewed clashes revive memories of the 2020-2022 war, which killed more than 600,000 people and displaced around one million [249890]. Tigray rebels have declared a "full-blown war" as fighting spreads [249890].
Heavy fighting has disrupted telecom services, raising fears that the conflict could spread beyond Ethiopia's borders [250466]. Martin Plaut, an expert on the Horn of Africa, warned the conflict could spread across the region [249911].
Human Rights Watch has warned of a possible humanitarian crisis in an area already facing severe hardship [252502].
Hospitals in the Tigray and Amhara regions are struggling to cope with hundreds of wounded patients flooding in [253257]. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, says the influx has strained hospitals beyond capacity. The aid group has suspended some operations and redirected staff to respond to the emergency [253257].
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