Ethiopia Conflict Escalates as Government Forces Capture Strategic Town of Alamata

Ethiopian government forces and their regional allies have seized control of Alamata, a strategically significant town in the country's northern Tigray region, marking a major turning point in the renewed conflict that has shattered a fragile two-year-old peace agreement.

The Tigray Peace Force, an armed faction composed of Tigrayan fighters aligned with the federal government in Addis Ababa, announced on Facebook that its forces, working alongside the national army, had taken the town. The capture represents the most substantial territorial gain for government-aligned forces since fighting erupted again last week.

Alamata's location makes it a critical military objective. Situated approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Mekelle, Tigray's capital, the town functions as a vital supply hub for troops, fuel and food moving through the region. Military analysts suggest its fall could open a corridor for federal forces to advance northward toward Mekelle, potentially threatening the rebel administration's seat of power.

Video footage verified by Reuters showed armed soldiers walking through Alamata's streets carrying Ethiopian flags. Two diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to the news agency that the town had fallen, while a source linked to opposition forces acknowledged their fighters were retreating from the area.

The renewed hostilities began last week when Tigrayan rebel forces launched a major offensive, capturing three airports across Tigray and pushing into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. The Tigray People's Liberation Front, which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assumed power in 2018, insists it is fighting a "defensive war" and accuses federal forces of employing drones and heavy artillery against civilian areas.

The federal government and its allies have since mounted a counteroffensive across multiple fronts. On Sunday, a drone strike hit the headquarters of Tigrai TV, widely regarded as the primary media outlet for rebel authorities in Mekelle. The strike represents an escalation in the information war accompanying the physical conflict.

The fighting has spread across three northern regions—Tigray, Amhara and Afar—creating a complex and volatile battlefield. In the Afar region, TPLF forces seized Erebti, a strategically important town, over the weekend, according to an Ethiopian commander who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The Tigray Peace Force acknowledged Erebti's fall but disputed accounts that the takeover followed intense combat.

The TPLF's offensive in Afar carries significant economic implications for Ethiopia. The region contains critical supply routes from Djibouti, through which the vast majority of Ethiopia's imports, including fuel, pass. Disruption to these corridors could severely impact the landlocked nation's economy and military logistics.

Al Jazeera's Taha Tawakul, reporting from Afar, said the region's governor claimed Eritrean forces were actively participating in the fighting, controlling more than two-thirds of the territory and moving to cut the road linking Djibouti and Eritrea. The Eritrean government has not responded to these allegations, which, if confirmed, would represent a dangerous expansion of the conflict's international dimensions.

"The situation is, therefore, extremely dangerous, and perhaps in the coming hours, the federal government will intervene alongside the Afar regional government," Tawakul reported, suggesting further escalation may be imminent.

In Amhara, fighting has concentrated around North Wollo, where the Ethiopian military claims to have killed approximately 270 Tigrayan fighters and wounded more than 200 others. These figures could not be independently verified, and casualty claims in conflict zones often prove difficult to confirm.

The humanitarian toll is mounting rapidly. Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, reported Monday a surge in wounded patients arriving at medical facilities across the north. The number of patients at Korem and Alamata hospitals jumped from approximately 180 to more than 420 within 48 hours. Suhul Hospital received 300 wounded individuals last week alone.

Communications infrastructure has also suffered. Internet and telephone networks have been disrupted across Tigray, complicating efforts to verify events on the ground and hindering humanitarian coordination. Such blackouts have become a recurring feature of the conflict, raising concerns about civilian access to emergency services and information.

Valerie Browning, cofounder of the Afar Pastoralist Development Association, told AP that approximately 150,000 people have been displaced since the latest fighting began. The figure underscores the rapid deterioration of conditions for civilians caught between advancing forces.

At the heart of the conflict lies the unresolved tension between Abiy's federal government and the TPLF. The two sides fought a devastating war from November 2020 to November 2022, a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. The Pretoria Agreement, signed in November 2022, was intended to establish a lasting peace, but its provisions have unraveled amid mutual accusations of violations and unmet commitments.

The current fighting represents the most serious challenge to that agreement since its signing. The involvement of multiple armed groups, regional governments and allegations of foreign intervention complicate prospects for de-escalation. Diplomatic efforts to restore the ceasefire have yet to yield visible results, and the capture of Alamata suggests federal forces may be pursuing a decisive military advantage rather than negotiating from a position of stalemate.

International observers are watching closely, mindful that a full-scale return to civil war could destabilize the entire Horn of Africa. The region already contends with conflicts in Sudan and Somalia, and renewed Ethiopian hostilities could trigger refugee flows, disrupt trade routes and draw in neighboring countries.

For now, the situation remains fluid. Government-aligned forces appear to hold the momentum following Alamata's capture, but the TPLF has demonstrated resilience and capacity for counteroffensives. Whether the conflict expands further or returns to the negotiating table may depend on military developments in the coming days and the willingness of external actors to press both sides toward a renewed ceasefire.