Federal forces have seized Tigray’s capital and southern corridor, but TPLF and Eritrean soldiers may turn this advance into a costly highland campaign
The Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) has pushed deep into Tigray, capturing the regional capital, Mekelle, on 4 October after a rapid turnaround on several fronts. The advance followed initial Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) offensives into North Wello and Afar, with some Fano support, which briefly put federal forces and their allies under pressure. The trigger for the TPLF attack on 23 September remains contested, with both sides accusing each other. In the days preceding it, federal forces launched several drone strikes on TPLF positions in South Tigray. The TPLF and its allies then opened fronts around Abala in Afar, Jemedo and Zata-Sekota, while also seizing three federal-controlled airports across Tigray (Dispatches 5/10/26 & AC Vol 67 No 20).
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