Ethiopian Forces Seize Tigray Cities as Tensions With Eritrea Rise

By Al Mayadeen English

13 Oct 2026 14:27

Ethiopian forces and allied groups enter Shire, Adigrat and Adwa in Tigray as tensions with Eritrea escalate and fears of a wider conflict grow.

Ethiopian government forces and their allies have expanded their control over cities in the northern Tigray region after entering Shire and Adigrat following the withdrawal of fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), amid reports of a military advance toward the Eritrean border and mounting tensions between Addis Ababa and Asmara.

Government-aligned forces entered Shire in northwestern Tigray on Friday with little resistance after TPLF fighters and the local administration withdrew from the city two days earlier, witnesses told the African News Agency.

Residents said shops had closed and neighborhood groups had been formed to guard against looting. Four people were reportedly killed in exchanges of fire linked to incidents of looting and the deteriorating security situation.

In Adigrat, a city close to the Eritrean border, Ethiopian forces and allied armed groups entered on Saturday after Eritrean troops that had been deployed in the area in previous days withdrew, Reuters reported.

Witnesses said Ethiopian soldiers and military vehicles were seen in the streets. Reuters also verified footage showing government-aligned forces inside the city.

The developments followed reports of Ethiopian drone strikes against Eritrean forces near Adigrat, while Addis Ababa accused Asmara of entering its territory and supporting armed groups opposed to the Ethiopian government.

Government forces also entered the city of Adwa on Sunday without fighting after TPLF fighters withdrew, AFP reported, marking another advance by forces aligned with Addis Ababa across northern Tigray.

TPLF fighters withdraw toward Sheraro

A representative of a breakaway TPLF faction told the African News Agency that withdrawing fighters were moving toward Sheraro, a city near the Eritrean border.

The official also said some fighters had left the TPLF and returned to their villages amid the group's recent battlefield setbacks.

The Ethiopian army and its allies regained control of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, on October 3 after the TPLF announced its withdrawal from the city and said it would temporarily relocate its administration while continuing military operations.

Ethiopia and Eritrea sever diplomatic ties

The Ethiopian advance comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara, with the two countries severing diplomatic ties last week.

Ethiopia accused Eritrea of deploying forces as far as 60 kilometers into Tigray, describing the alleged move as an attack on its sovereignty that warranted defending its territory.

Eritrea denied the accusations and appealed to the UN Security Council, calling for action against Ethiopia. Asmara accused Addis Ababa of using allegations of an Eritrean military incursion to justify an attack against Eritrea.

The Ethiopian government has also accused Eritrea of supporting the armed coalition led by the TPLF, which resumed operations against government forces in late September. Eritrea has rejected the allegations.

Tigray advance raises fears of wider regional war

The latest developments have revived fears of a broader regional conflict after years of fighting in northern Ethiopia between 2020 and 2022.

That conflict ended with a peace agreement, but key political and security disputes between the parties remained unresolved.

The Ethiopian forces' advance across Tigray has further shifted the military balance, but the situation remains fluid, particularly around areas close to the Eritrean border.

The escalation between Addis Ababa and Asmara has raised concerns that fighting could spread into border areas and develop into a wider military confrontation, threatening to reopen a conflict that the 2022 peace agreement had sought to end.