UPDATE: Federal and Allied Forces Enter Mekelle; TPLF Says It Has Withdrawn
Ethiopian federal and allied forces have entered Mekelle, according to separate reporting by Reuters and AFP. The Tigray People's Liberation Front says it has withdrawn from the regional capital, a material advance beyond the airport takeover CurrentFront reported on October 3. The extent of security and civilian harm inside the city remains unclear.
Forces aligned with Ethiopia's federal government entered Mekelle on Saturday, October 3, after recapturing the airport outside the Tigray capital. Reuters reported on October 4 that a humanitarian source and a resident confirmed government forces controlled the city, while a source close to the allied Tigray Peace Forces said its fighters reached the center before federal troops. AFP separately reported that a humanitarian source had received accounts from staff on the ground placing federal and allied forces at several locations inside Mekelle.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) said it had withdrawn from the city and would temporarily move the regional government elsewhere, according to Reuters. Ethiopia's prime minister's office had not responded to Reuters, while AFP said it had not received a response from the army or prime minister's spokespeople.
Residents’ accounts and security gaps
AP also reported the TPLF’s withdrawal statement and interviewed a local business owner who described fighters leaving and looting at government and police offices.
The reporting does not establish how firmly government forces control every district, whether clashes continue, or who is providing day-to-day security. Casualty figures, displacement and damage assessments were not available in the reports reviewed. AFP said disrupted communications make accounts from the city difficult to verify; residents voiced fears of lawlessness.
The renewed fighting began September 23 when TPLF-led forces launched an offensive. Federal troops and allies counterattacked toward Mekelle, retook its airport and then entered the city. The conflict follows Ethiopia's 2020–2022 civil war and has coincided with a sharp diplomatic rupture with Eritrea. These earlier events are background, not evidence of conditions in every part of Mekelle today.
CurrentFront's October 3 update reported the airport's recapture and accounts of Tigray fighters leaving Mekelle. That report explicitly said control of the city itself was unconfirmed. The new evidence places federal and allied forces inside the city, including its center, and includes a TPLF statement acknowledging withdrawal. CurrentFront first reported the advance toward Mekelle on October 2.
Sources
- Reuters, government and allied forces in Mekelle — October 4, 2026, 08:18 UTC (04:18 EDT).
- AFP, entry into Mekelle and residents' accounts — October 4, 2026, 06:55 as displayed (timezone unspecified).
- Associated Press, TPLF withdrawal and local witness — October 4, 2026; exact publication time not displayed.
- CurrentFront, earlier airport update — first published October 3, 2026.
- CurrentFront, original advance report — first published October 2, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. as stated in the October 3 update.
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