Ethiopian Army-TPLF Clash Breaks Out in Tigray, Fears of War Killing Thousands Emerge

JAKARTA - Clashes between federal soldiers and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) group erupted in Ethiopia, causing a number of flights to be suspended on Thursday, January 29 local time.

AFP reported that this renewed escalation risks triggering a return to the long-running conflict in Tigray.

A brutal war between Ethiopian federal forces and the TPLF group took place in the region about three years ago. According to the African Union, about 600,000 people died in the war between November 2020 and November 2022.

The clashes began from a conflict in Tsemlet, western Tigray, the Amhara militia's territory which refused to withdraw despite having agreed to a peace agreement in Pretoria since 2022.

"The situation seems to be deteriorating," the security source said.

A diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tigrayan forces were facing "ENDF (Ethiopian army) together with Amhara militias".

"Clashes have been confirmed in recent days, but today we do not know the situation," the source added.

A local source, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the clashes. The federal army has not responded to AFP's request for a response.

The sources also confirmed that the clashes had led to a number of flights to Tigray operated by the only airline Ethiopian Airlines being suspended.

When asked about this incident, Ethiopian Airlines still chose to remain silent.

The TPLF, which once ruled all of Ethiopia before being ousted by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government, is banned from carrying out its activities in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian government accused the TPLF group of having ties with neighboring Eritrea and "actively preparing to wage war against Ethiopia".

Since tensions between Ethiopian federal forces and the TPLF group emerged, hundreds of thousands of people are still recorded as displaced.