Ethiopian Federal Forces Recapture Mekelle Airport as Tigray Rebels Retreat

Members of the Tigray People's Liberation Front were seen walking along a main road in Mekelle on September 23, 2026. According to multiple unnamed sources, Ethiopia’s federal army and pro-government fighters have successfully recaptured the main airport in the capital of the northern Tigray region, while rebel forces were observed leaving the city.

A source with knowledge of events in the city and a humanitarian source confirmed to Reuters news agency on Saturday that the Ethiopian National Defence Forces regained control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle. Situated approximately 10km (6 miles) from the centre of Mekelle, the airport was one of three airfields seized by rebel forces when fighting began on September 23.

Local residents and a journalist told the AFP news agency that fighters and leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) were seen retreating from the city. However, the journalist noted that federal forces had not yet been spotted inside Mekelle.

Expressing concern over the security vacuum, a resident told AFP, "I am concerned that government and public property could be exposed to looting because there are no security forces in the city." Another resident added, "I am worried that lawlessness could spread in the city, and I am also afraid for my life. I want us to quickly return to law and order."

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify these claims due to heavily restricted media access and significant communications blackouts in Ethiopia. Last month, rebels announced a new seven-party coalition led by the TPLF—the same armed group involved in the 2020-2022 civil war against federal forces from Addis Ababa—which includes various rebel groups from across the country.

The coalition launched an offensive late last month, seizing three airports around Tigray and engaging in border clashes with Amhara and Afar states. According to the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute think tank, the government has launched a counteroffensive pushing into Tigrayan territory along three axes toward Mekelle.

While fighting remains concentrated in Tigray, rebels have reportedly conducted drone attacks on Addis Ababa, and neither the TPLF nor the government has officially commented on ground developments. Amnesty International reports that the conflict has involved drone attacks, intensified forced conscription, and civilian infrastructure targeting, taking on an increasingly international dimension though not yet matching the scale of the 2020-2022 war.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government has accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting the opposition coalition. While Khartoum and Cairo denied involvement, Eritrea severed diplomatic ties with Ethiopia over the accusations. On Thursday, Eritrea denied participation in the Tigray conflict, accused Addis Ababa of "pursuing an agenda of incessant hostility," and alleged that landlocked Ethiopia plans to invade Eritrea to secure Red Sea access. Meanwhile, TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael stated in a video on Thursday that "the war is regional and it is a war to control the Red Sea," though Ethiopia has previously ruled out conflict with Eritrea over coastal access.