Tigray regional government says fighters engaged in defensive war against Ethiopian federal forces

The Tigray regional government in Ethiopia has issued a statement affirming that its fighters are engaged in a defensive war against Ethiopian federal forces.

Ethiopian Airlines suspended its flights to the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia after Tigrayan forces took control of Mekelle airport, the regional capital, seizing it from federal police.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front, which controls the region, fought a war with the federal government from 2020 to 2022 that resulted in the deaths of around 600,000 people, according to African Union estimates.