ADDIS ABABA, October 2, 2026 (Horn News Hub)
Ethiopian National Defence forces and the government aligned Tigray Peace Forces (TPF) are reportedly advancing toward Mekelle from multiple directions as fighting intensifies in northern Ethiopia.
Sources cited by Horn News Hub report that federal and allied forces have captured Milazat, a small town located about 20 kilometres southeast of Mekelle near the Tigray Afar regional boundary. The development could open another approach toward the Tigray regional capital.
Government forces and their allies are also reportedly advancing toward Mekelle through several routes. One of the reported lines of advance is from the Sekota front, with forces moving northward through the Same area toward the capital.
Reuters reported on Friday that Ethiopian government forces and allied fighters were closing in on Mekelle, with residents saying federal forces were within striking distance of the city.
Horn News Hub sources also reported that several senior TPLF leaders had left Mekelle as of Thursday. Al Jazeera separately reported that some TPLF leaders had moved out of the city as federal forces advanced toward the capital.
The latest developments come amid renewed fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and an armed alliance led by the TPLF, with multiple fronts reported across Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions.
Horn News Hub continues to verify reports concerning the movements of forces and the situation inside and around Mekelle.
