Ethiopia: Tigray rebels declare full-blown war, seize airports

2026-09-23 07:12 UTC – 2026-09-24 19:26 UTC

Neutral summary

Tigrayan rebels in Ethiopia say they are in a situation of full-blown war with the federal government, according to AFP. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) seized airports in the Tigray region, including Mekelle airport, and fighting has spread to the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. Ethiopian Airlines has canceled all flights to Tigray. The Ethiopian army says it has repelled attacks and killed 272 TPLF fighters in Amhara, though the figures could not be independently verified. The conflict has reignited four years after a peace deal ended the 2020–2022 civil war, which is estimated to have killed about 600,000 people. Two days before the fighting began, the TPLF and six other armed groups, including former rivals, announced an alliance aimed at overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. According to RFI, rebels also took control of the town of Abala in Afar and encircled the town of Woldiya in Amhara. Both sides accuse each other of triggering the conflict: the TPLF says it is responding to a “full-scale offensive” by the government, while the government insists the rebels started the fighting. The African Union has called for urgent de-escalation.

How it was framed

Outlets: 34. Countries: 14. Facts in the shared core: 4.

Publication timeline

2026-09-23 07:12 · Sveriges Radio Ekot (outlet profile)
Rebeller har tagit över flygplats i Tigray. Regimkritiska rebeller har tagit kontroll över flygplatsen i regionen Tigrays huvudstad Mekelle i norra Etiopien, uppger källor för AFP.  Flygtrafiken ligger nu helt nere…
2026-09-23 08:35 · Asharq Al-Awsat (outlet profile)
Tigray Rebel Forces Seize Ethiopia Regional Airport
2026-09-23 08:46 · The Independent (outlet profile)
Ethiopian Airlines cancels flights to Tigray amid concerns over renewed fighting. Ethiopian Airlines has canceled all flights to the troubled northern region of Tigray amid fears of an escalation in fighting between fed…
2026-09-23 09:09 · Libération (outlet profile)
En Ethiopie, des forces des autorités rebelles du Tigré s’emparent de l’aéroport de Mekele. Les forces du Front de libération du peuple du Tigré (TPLF) ont pris cette semaine le contrôle de l’aéroport de la capitale de…
2026-09-23 09:24 · UOL (outlet profile)
Rebeldes do norte da Etiópia tomam o controle de aeroporto regional. As forças rebeldes da região de Tigré, no norte da Etiópia, tomaram o controle do aeroporto da capital regional, informaram nesta quarta-feira (23) à…
2026-09-23 09:51 · NRK (outlet profile)
Opprørere har tatt kontroll over flyplass i Etiopia. Tigray-opprørere nord i Etiopia har tatt kontroll over flyplassen i regionens hovedstad Mekele. Ethiopian Airlines har innstilt alle ruter til Tigray-regionen, og fry…
2026-09-23 09:58 · Al Jazeera (outlet profile)
Ethiopian Airlines suspends flights to three northern Tigray airports. The suspension comes after Tigrayan forces took control of Mekelle airport.
2026-09-23 10:07 · Daily Maverick (outlet profile)
Ethiopian Airlines suspends flights to Tigray region after takeover of Mekelle airport. Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Ethiopia's northern Tigray region on Wednesday after Tigrayan forces seized the airport in…
2026-09-23 11:03 · Euronews (outlet profile)
Tigray rebels seize airport and clash with federal forces as fighting in Ethiopia reignites. TPLF forces took control of Mekelle airport and fought federal troops at two locations in the Afar region, while Ethiopian Air…
2026-09-23 11:31 · Le Monde (outlet profile)
En Ethiopie, des combats entre l’armée et les Forces de défense tigréennes signalés dans l’Etat d’Afar. Les Forces de défense tigréennes ont, par ailleurs, pris le contrôle de l’aéroport de Makalé, capitale de l’Etat. T…
2026-09-23 11:42 · BBC News (outlet profile)
Tigray forces seize main airport in northern Ethiopia from police, residents tell the BBC. There are fears of a return to war in the northern region as tensions between the government and TPLF escalate.
2026-09-23 12:06 · DW (Deutsche Welle) (outlet profile)
Ethiopia: Fighting resumes in Tigray. Rebels in northern Ethiopia have seized regional airports and engaged government troops in Afar and Amhara. Observers fear deadly clashes could expand after rebels announced a new a…
2026-09-23 12:20 · UOL (outlet profile)
Rebeldes do norte da Etiópia tomam controle de aeroporto e enfrentam militares. Os rebeldes da região de Tigré, no norte da Etiópia, tomaram o controle de um aeroporto estratégico na área e entraram em confronto com as…
2026-09-23 12:42 · Insajder (outlet profile)
Lideri Tigraja objavili početak novog rata sa saveznom vladom Etiopije. Lideri severne etiopske regije Tigraj saopštili su danas da je počeo novi rat sa saveznom vladom, nakon izbijanja borbi u Tigraju i dve susedne reg…
2026-09-23 12:55 · RT - Daily news (outlet profile)
Ethiopia civil war fears escalate after rebel forces ‘seize airport’. Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to Tigray after local forces reportedly took control of Mekelle airport Read Full Article at RT.com
2026-09-23 13:13 · La Repubblica (outlet profile)
Etiopia, i ribelli del Tigré prendono il controllo dell’aeroporto di Macallé e di altri due scali. Cancellati i voli. Ethiopian Airlines ha annunciato la decisione per il timore di un’escalation nei combattimenti tra le…
2026-09-23 13:26 · Telegraf (outlet profile)
Upravo je izbio novi rat! Prošli sukob na ovom prostoru odneo je više od 600.000 života. Snage iz severnog etiopskog regiona Tigraj pokrenule su u sredu veliku ofanzivu protiv savezne vlade, saopštio je visoki etiopski…
2026-09-23 13:35 · B92 (outlet profile)
Izbio novi rat – počelo je zauzimanje. U Etiopiji je ponovo izbio građanski rat.
2026-09-23 13:53 · Ouest-France (outlet profile)
Éthiopie : combats, aéroport contrôlé par les rebelles du Tigré… Pourquoi la situation est-elle tendue ?. La situation est particulièrement tendue depuis quelques jours en Éthiopie, alors que des affrontements ont éclat…
2026-09-23 14:04 · El País (outlet profile)
La guerra civil vuelve a estallar en Etiopía. Combatientes del TPLF lanzan una ofensiva contra el Ejército federal en Afar y Amhara y toman el aeropuerto de Mekele, en Tigray
2026-09-23 14:07 · Africanews (outlet profile)
Ethiopia: Tigray forces seize airports as fighting spreads to Afar. Tigrayan rebels in northern Ethiopia seized control of airports and battled federal troops in the neighbouring Afar region, multiple sources told AFP o…
2026-09-23 14:26 · ТАСС (outlet profile)
Тыграй объявил о вступлении в войну против федеральных сил Эфиопии. Бои происходят не только в Тыграе, но и в соседних регионах Афар и Амхара, отметило Reuters
2026-09-23 14:38 · Al Jazeera (outlet profile)
Can Ethiopia’s seven-group rebel alliance challenge Abiy Ahmed?. The alliance brings together movements with different enemies, claims and histories as tensions with Abiy rise.
2026-09-23 14:57 · Tanjug (outlet profile)
Eskalacija sukoba u Etiopiji, pobunjenici zauzeli aerodrome u Tigraju
2026-09-23 15:10 · UOL (outlet profile)
Líderes de Tigré dizem que nova guerra contra governo etíope começou. 23 Set (Reuters) - Forças da região de Tigré, no norte da Etiópia, lançaram uma grande ?ofensiva contra o governo ?federal nesta quarta-feira, afirmo…
2026-09-23 15:19 · Sputnik Srbija (outlet profile)
Ескалација сукоба у Етиопији, побуњеници заузели аеродроме у Тиграју на северу земље. Побуњеници из Народноослободилачког фронта Тиграја (ТПЛФ) преузели су контролу над регионалним аеродромима у Тиграју, на северу Етиоп…
2026-09-23 15:21 · Politika (outlet profile)
Ескалација сукоба у Етиопији, побуњеници заузели аеродроме. Побуњеници заузели аеродроме у Тиграју
2026-09-23 15:40 · La Croix (outlet profile)
En Éthiopie, les rebelles du Tigré à la manœuvre. Les Forces de défense du Tigré occupent ce mercredi 23 septembre l’aéroport régional et affrontent l’armée fédérale dans l’État d’Afar, quelques jours après que sept gro…
2026-09-23 16:13 · DW (Deutsche Welle) (outlet profile)
Ethiopia: Where does the Tigray conflict go from here?. Fighting in and around Tigray is testing Ethiopia's fragile 2022 peace deal. With old enemies forming new alliances, experts warn that the conflict could enter a d…
2026-09-23 16:40 · Libération (outlet profile)
Attaques au Tigré : l’Ethiopie «au bord d’une guerre de grande ampleur». Les rebelles de cette région du nord du pays ont pris le contrôle de plusieurs aéroports, dont celui de Mekele, capitale locale. Ils affirment vou…

Factual core

A new war has broken out in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
Rebels seized airports in Ethiopia's Tigray region.
Tigrayan forces clashed with federal troops at two locations in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
The new conflict ended a four-year peace agreement between Tigray and the Ethiopian federal government.

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