Ethiopia: militia allied to federal government claims capture of Mekele airport
The Tigrayan militia Forces de paix du Tigré (TPF), allied with the Ethiopian federal government, said on X that it had taken full control of Alula Aba Nega airport, about ten kilometres from the centre of Mekele. The airport had been taken on 23 September by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) at the start of an offensive by a new opposition alliance. The TPF said it was liberating the city, after retaking several localities in southern Tigray, including Alamata, earlier in the week.
Why it matters: The claim bears on the briefing's conflict theme, since control of the airport and the expected capture of the regional capital would indicate the extent of the federal army's advance on the Tigray front.