Ethiopia's Tigray rebels abandon regional capital as government advances

Tigray rebels were abandoning their regional capital in northern Ethiopia on Saturday (October 3, 2026), a local journalist and residents told AFP , as pro-government forces advanced on the city.

Fighting erupted on September 23 in northern Ethiopia as the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched attacks into neighbouring states, raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war.

But federal forces and pro-government militias have pushed them back in recent days and were heading north towards the regional capital, Mekelle.

"TPLF militants and leaders are leaving Mekelle," the journalist said, adding that federal forces had not yet been seen inside the city.

He said government offices and police stations had been left without security personnel.

"I am concerned that government and public property could be exposed to looting because there are no security forces in the city," a local resident told AFP.