Turning point: Key city falls; Army marches through the streets PHOTO/VIDEO

A video posted on the Facebook page of the pro-government group Tigray Peace Force, whose authenticity was verified by Reuters, shows soldiers marching through the streets of Alamata, a city located about 120 kilometers south of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, and waving Ethiopian flags.

Two diplomatic sources also confirmed that the city had fallen, while a source linked to opposition forces said they were withdrawing from Alamata and expected the city to come under the control of federal forces within a few hours.

The latest clashes are taking place between the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a guerrilla movement that evolved into a political party and dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades, until Abiy took office in 2018.

Spokespersons for the Ethiopian army and the TPLF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The capture of Alamata would represent a major advantage for federal forces as they advance toward the regional capital, Mekelle, located about 120 kilometers to the north.

As an important supply hub for troops, including food and fuel, Alamata is located near Tigray’s southern border with the neighboring Amhara region. The town changed hands several times during the 2020–2022 civil war between federal forces and TPLF fighters.

Clashes in Tigray and the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions

The fighting marks the collapse of a fragile peace agreement reached four years ago that ended one of Africa’s deadliest recent conflicts, raising the prospect of a wider war.

The renewed conflict is contributing to instability in the Horn of Africa, which is already strained by the civil war in Sudan, tensions over access to the Red Sea, and the spillover of conflicts from the Middle East.