Story perspectives

Tigray Rebels Seize Mekelle and Lalibela Airports

By Drooid · Sep 26, 2026, 2:29 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Tigray rebels seized Mekelle and Lalibela airports and attacked federal positions in Afar and Amhara Sept. 23-25, 2026.
Ethiopian army said it killed 272 TPLF fighters and wounded 260 in the northern clashes.
African Union Commission chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for immediate de-escalation and a return to talks.
Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) created an Alliance of Survival with six groups from Oromia, Amhara, Somali, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz.

History

Historical Context

Border tensions erupted on 6 May 1998 when Ethiopian forces entered Badme, sparking the 1998-2000 Eritrean-Ethiopian war that killed about 70,000 people and ended with the fragile Algiers Agreement. Decades later, on 1 September 2026 the TPLF seized Mekelle and Lalibela airports and created an Alliance of Survival with six regional groups, reviving fears of renewed instability along the same contested frontier.

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Story summary

Tigray rebels seized Mekelle and Lalibela airports and attacked federal positions in Afar and Amhara Sept. 23-25, 2026.
Ethiopian army said it killed 272 TPLF fighters and wounded 260 in the northern clashes.
African Union Commission chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for immediate de-escalation and a return to talks.
Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) created an Alliance of Survival with six groups from Oromia, Amhara, Somali, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz.

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