• Tigrayan forces have seized the Mekelle airport, resulting in Ethiopian Airlines suspending flights.
• The conflict escalated after the TPLF formed an alliance with six other armed groups.
• The ongoing unrest raises fears of a return to full-scale civil war in Ethiopia.

In a significant escalation of conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region, Tigrayan forces have taken control of Mekelle airport from federal police, leading Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to the cities of Mekelle, Axum, and Shire. The airline announced on Telegram that the suspension is due to the "current situation in the Tigray region," and it apologized for any inconvenience caused to customers, according to Al Jazeera.

This seizure of the airport comes amid a breakdown in relations between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which recently announced an alliance with six other armed groups to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's administration. The ongoing tensions are reminiscent of the previous civil war that lasted from 2020 to 2022, in which estimates suggest around 600,000 were killed, according to Reuters and BBC.

The TPLF's renewed military posture, including claims of forced recruitments of young men, raises fears of an impending conflict. A local resident reported that the situation at the airport was "tense," as Ethiopian flights were canceled in response to the Tigrayan forces taking control, a sentiment echoed by reports from multiple local sources, according to Reuters and BBC.

Amid this turmoil, there have been persistent accusations from both the TPLF and federal forces regarding violations of the 2022 Pretoria Agreement that ended the previous conflict. This has further fueled the hostilities, with the Ethiopian military recently conducting drone strikes in Tigray, which the TPLF claims have targeted civilians, a claim supported by community leaders in the region as reported by both Reuters and BBC.