Tigrayan forces have seized two airports and launched attacks against Ethiopian government positions in the Afar and Amhara regions. The federal army reports killing more than 270 rebels during counter-offensives, while Tigrayan rebels have declared a state of "full-blown war" with the government. Internet connectivity in northern Ethiopia has dropped, with network data indicating a telecoms blackout across the Tigray region.

The escalation follows the collapse of a 2022 peace deal that had ended a previous brutal civil war. This renewed offensive raises risks of wider regional instability, as analysts warn the conflict could spill over into the ongoing civil war in Sudan or attract intervention from foreign powers competing for influence in East Africa.