Ethiopian government forces and allied militias regained control of Mekelle, the Tigray capital, on Saturday, Reuters reported. The TPLF said it had temporarily moved its administration out of the city.
Ethiopian government forces and allied militias have regained control of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, three sources told Reuters on Sunday. The Tigray People's Liberation Front said on Facebook that it had retreated and that the regional government would temporarily operate from somewhere else.
A source close to the pro-government Tigray Peace Forces told Reuters its fighters entered the city center on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Ethiopian military. A humanitarian source and a Mekelle resident, speaking anonymously, confirmed government control. Al Jazeera cited AFP reporting that humanitarian staff on the ground said the TPLF had abandoned the regional capital.
The prime minister's office did not immediately comment, Reuters said. Fighting resumed on September 23 after seven armed and political groups announced an alliance aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and setting up a transitional administration.
Loss of Mekelle is a major setback for the TPLF-led alliance, which had launched an offensive against the federal military. Al Jazeera reported that federal troops and allied fighters were also seen after the capture of the city's main airport.
No independently verified casualty total for the entry into Mekelle was included in the Reuters or Al Jazeera accounts used here.