Ethiopian forces enter strategic Tigray town of Adwa, witnesses say

Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, on Sunday.Published On 12 Oct 202612 Oct 2026Ethiopian government forces have entered the town of Adwa without a fight, days after capturing Adigrat from rebel fighters as flights resumed to Mekelle in the country’s northern Tigray region.Residents of the northwestern town of Adwa, roughly 40km (24 miles) from Eritrea’s border, said federal forces and an allied militia entered the town on Sunday, a day after the withdrawal of fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Ethiopia, Eritrea ramp up rhetoric: Are they inching towards war?list 2 of 3At least 139 dead, 84 missing as migrant boat capsizes off Djiboutilist 3 of 3Eritrea urges UN to intervene in standoff with Ethiopiaend of listTPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa said he “did not wish to comment”.“All the shops in the town are closed. Last night, many government institutions, including Adwa Hospital, were looted,” Aferwerki, a local resident who gave only one name, told AFP.Conflict monitor ACLED said that Ethiopian drone strikes targeted a hotel in Adwa on October 4, wounding between “five and nine peo...