The reported seizure of Alula Aba Nega Airport came as intense fighting continued across northern Ethiopia, raising concerns that the latest escalation could develop into a wider regional confrontation.
The clashes, which erupted last week between an alliance led by Tigray's ruling party and Ethiopian government forces and their allies, represent the most serious outbreak of violence in the region since the devastating 2020-2022 Tigray war.
Two sources, including a person with knowledge of events in Mekelle and a humanitarian source, told Reuters that troops from the Ethiopian National Defence Forces had regained control of the airport.
A third source, a resident of Mekelle who requested anonymity because of security concerns, also confirmed that government forces had taken the airport. The resident said gunfire could be heard outside the city centre.
The resident further reported seeing some Tigrayan Defence Force fighters abandoning their positions and returning home, while government facilities were being looted in parts of the city.
Reuters was unable to independently verify those accounts.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the region's ruling political movement and a leading force in the opposition alliance, could not immediately be reached for comment.
However, a source close to the TPLF told Reuters that Mekelle had been surrounded by government troops and allied militias.
Strategic Blow for Tigray Forces
The reported recapture of the airport represents a significant development because Alula Aba Nega Airport is a key transportation link for Mekelle and the wider Tigray region.
Located approximately 10 kilometres from the centre of Mekelle, the airport was among three airports in Tigray seized by opposition forces when the latest fighting began on September 23.
Its loss would give federal forces greater control over an important access point to the regional capital and could complicate the opposition alliance's ability to move personnel and supplies.
Analysts, however, caution that the fall of the airport would not necessarily bring the conflict to an end.
The renewed fighting is unfolding against the backdrop of a conflict that has repeatedly shifted between periods of intense combat and fragile political settlements.
Mekelle itself has particular symbolic and strategic importance. During the previous Tigray war, federal forces captured the city within the first month of the conflict in 2020. The TPLF subsequently regained control of the regional capital seven months later.
The latest developments therefore recall an earlier phase of the conflict, while also demonstrating how quickly control of key territory can change.
Fears of a Wider Regional Conflict
The renewed violence has raised concerns well beyond Ethiopia's borders.
The fighting has already heightened fears that the conflict could draw neighbouring countries and other regional powers into a broader confrontation, particularly given the strategic importance of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
Those concerns intensified this week after the federal government in Addis Ababa severed diplomatic ties with Eritrea.
The Ethiopian government has accused Eritrea, as well as Sudan and Egypt, of supporting the rebel alliance. Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt have denied the allegations.
The diplomatic rupture adds another layer of tension to an already volatile regional environment, where disputes over borders, security, trade routes and political influence have repeatedly contributed to friction between governments.
Echoes of the 2020-2022 War
The latest fighting comes only a few years after Ethiopia emerged from a devastating two-year conflict in Tigray.
The 2020-2022 war pitted Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's federal government against the TPLF and resulted in widespread destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis.
A peace agreement reached in November 2022 brought an end to the main phase of the war, but tensions between the federal government and Tigrayan political and military actors have remained.
The latest confrontation has raised fresh questions about the durability of that settlement.
For residents of Mekelle, the return of fighting has brought renewed uncertainty as opposing forces compete for control of strategic positions around the city.
Reports of government troops encircling Mekelle, combined with the reported loss of its airport, suggest that federal forces are seeking to strengthen their position around the regional capital.
However, the situation remains fluid, and the battlefield claims from the opposing sides have not all been independently verified.
The developments also leave open the possibility of further fighting as government forces and the opposition alliance seek to consolidate their positions across Tigray.