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Pro-government forces in Ethiopia say they have regained control of Alamata, a strategic town in southern Tigray, after days of intense fighting with Tigrayan rebel forces across several fronts.
The reported capture of Alamata represents a major setback for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which launched coordinated attacks into neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions last week. The town sits along a key highway linking parts of Ethiopia and is strategically important because of its location and access routes into Tigray.
The Tigray Peace Force, a Tigrayan splinter group that supports Ethiopia’s federal government, announced the seizure on Facebook. Conflict monitoring organisation ACLED also confirmed reports that federal forces had taken control of the town.
The renewed clashes have increased fears of a return to the devastating civil war that lasted from 2020 to 2022, a conflict that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 600,000 people and caused widespread humanitarian suffering.
The latest fighting began after the TPLF launched attacks into Amhara and Afar regions on Wednesday. In Afar, the group reportedly made advances on Sunday, capturing the town of Erebti and moving further east in what analysts say could be an attempt to disrupt supply routes from Djibouti, Ethiopia’s main corridor for international trade cargo.
Heavy fighting has also been reported in Amhara, where the TPLF has been operating alongside the local Fano militia. Clashes have taken place around Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its historic rock-hewn churches.
The developments mark the most serious escalation between federal forces and Tigrayan fighters since the end of the previous war, raising concerns over the stability of northern Ethiopia and the possibility of further displacement and humanitarian challenges.
