Tigrayan forces seized control of airports in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, including the regional capital Mekelle, and fighting spilled into neighboring Afar and Amhara on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 23–24, according to The Guardian (opens in new tab), BBC News (opens in new tab), and Euronews (opens in new tab) reporting citing local residents, airline notices, and AFP sources.
State-owned Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Mekelle, Shire, and Axum, citing the “current situation.” Cabinet minister Getachew Reda said the TPLF launched an offensive against government positions in Afar and Amhara; Tigray authorities said they were responding to federal bombardments and that they were forced into a defensive war, the cited outlets reported. Mekelle residents told the BBC that local forces took the city’s airport from national police.
African Union Commission chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf urged “utmost restraint” and a return to talks. An EU spokesperson called for immediate de-escalation and recommitment to the 2022 Pretoria agreement, The Guardian (opens in new tab) said. Ethiopia’s army said Thursday it had foiled attacks and killed, wounded, or captured more than 500 fighters—a claim The Event Log treats as a military statement not independently verified in the cited packages.
Tigrayan vice-president Amanuel Assefa told AFP the situation was “full-blown war,” The Guardian (opens in new tab) reported. Humanitarian sources described fighting around Abala and Erebti in Afar; panic-buying was reported in parts of Tigray. The Event Log dual-attributes federal versus TPLF narratives and marks the story developing.