TPLF Forces Reportedly Withdraw from Mekelle as Federal Troops Advance

TPLF forces and their leadership are reportedly withdrawing from Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, according to news reports citing journalists, residents, and AFP. The withdrawal comes as Ethiopian Federal Government forces and affiliated allied groups advance closer to the city. The Tigray Peace Forces (TPF), fighting alongside federal troops, announced that they have fully secured the Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle. Meanwhile, the family of former Tigray Interim Administration President Lt. Gen. Taddesse Worede reported that he and other TPLF officials were forcibly abducted from the HZ Hotel by armed men and their current whereabouts remain unknown. Residents in Mekelle expressed severe concerns over the absence of security forces, law enforcement, and local government officials, fearing potential looting and widespread lawlessness. TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael previously acknowledged that fighting was ongoing across various fronts and that federal forces had taken control of certain areas.