Ethiopian forces enter strategic Tigray town of Adwa, witnesses say

Federal Ethiopian troops and allied militia units have moved into the strategically important northern town of Adwa without armed resistance, according to local residents, marking the latest shift in the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region.

The advance into Adwa, situated approximately 40 kilometers from the border with Eritrea, occurred on Sunday following the withdrawal of Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters the previous day. The development follows the recent federal capture of Adigrat and comes shortly after national troops took control of Tigray's regional capital, Mekelle.

Witnesses in Adwa described quiet streets and widespread apprehension in the wake of the troop movement. One resident, identified as Aferwerki, reported that local businesses remained closed and noted that several administrative facilities, including the town hospital, had been burglarized overnight. Another resident indicated that while federal soldiers were stationed within the town limits, they had not yet advanced into the central district, leaving thoroughfares largely empty as inhabitants feared further looting.

When asked about the situation, TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa declined to provide a statement.

Prior to the ground advance, military activity in the area had intensified. Conflict monitor ACLED reported that an Ethiopian drone strike hit a local hotel in Adwa on October 4, injuring between five and nine individuals, including members of the security forces. Unverified reports cited by ACLED suggested that senior figures within the TPLF, including chairman Debretsion Gebremichael, may have been present at the facility during the attack.

The takeover in Adwa follows significant federal gains across Tigray over the past week. Government forces recently secured Mekelle after the TPLF pulled back its combatants and announced a temporary relocation of its regional administrative operations.

In tandem with the military advances, federal authorities have begun restoring vital transport links. Ethiopian Airlines operated its first commercial flights between Addis Ababa and Mekelle on Sunday since service was disrupted on September 23, when an armed coalition comprising seven groups, including the TPLF, launched a military offensive that initially seized the regional airport.

Arriving at Mekelle's airport alongside Ethiopian intelligence chief Redwan Hussein, former Tigray leader Getachew Reda, who now serves as an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, spoke to supporters and pledged to deliver substantial improvements and stability to the area.

The renewed hostilities have also inflamed regional diplomacy. The Ethiopian government has alleged that neighboring Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea have offered assistance to the rebel coalition. Authorities in Khartoum and Cairo have rejected these allegations, while Eritrea, a former wartime partner of the Ethiopian military during the 2020 to 2022 conflict, cut diplomatic relations with Addis Ababa last week in response to the claims.