The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched a military campaign against government forces in northern Ethiopia on Wednesday, battling federal troops in the Afar and Tigray regions. Rebel forces captured Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle as well as airports in Shire and Axum, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend all flights to those cities. In the Afar region, a militant group known as ANURF seized the town of Abala while TPLF fighters attacked government positions in Abala and Erebti.

The offensive marks the effective collapse of the Pretoria peace framework signed in 2022 and follows a recent alliance of seven armed groups, including Amhara Fano and the OLA, to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. U.S. Ambassador Ervin Massinga described the TPLF's move as an "unwinnable fight" and warned that Washington could sanction additional leaders. The U.S. State Department has since advised American citizens not to travel to Tigray.