Conflict · Tigray · ArchiveFighting Erupts in Ethiopia's Tigray — Neither Side Claims ResponsibilityAired August 2, 2026 at 6:15 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Heavy clashes between Tigray forces and0:02the Ethiopian federal army erupted this0:04morning in the bitterly disputed Western0:06Tigray region. The TPLF confirmed the0:08fighting began at 6:00 a.m. and is0:10ongoing with three government0:11battalions, drones, and heavy artillery0:14engaged. The last war ended with the0:16Pretoria agreement, but political0:17ruptures have deepened. Earlier this0:19year, the transitional president0:20appointed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed0:22was forcibly replaced by a hardline TPLF0:25member. The region was then excluded0:26from national elections and recent US0:29and African Union mediation efforts were0:30seemingly unsuccessful. Now, open combat0:33has returned. The TPLF says three0:35federal battalions are moving with drone0:37and artillery support. The location,0:39Western Tigray, is the most contested0:41territory, a flashpoint even after the0:432022 ceasefire. The previous Tigray war0:46killed more than 600,000 people, a scale0:49that makes every current detail deeply0:51consequential. And there's a twist.0:53Factions of rebels who once fought0:54against the TPLF are now reported to0:56have sided with the TPLF, waiting0:58specifically for the rainy season0:59because government drones are less1:01effective in rain. That rainy season has1:03just begun. Neither the TPLF nor the1:05Ethiopian army has claimed1:06responsibility for starting the clashes.1:09The TPLF has confirmed the fighting and1:11offered tactical details, while the1:13federal government remains silent. That1:15silence alongside heavy weapons fire1:17shrinks the path to de-escalation. The1:20TPLF's current leader is a hardliner who1:22ousted Abiy Ahmed's appointee, while1:25Abiy himself faces a conflict he had1:26sought to end. Getachew Reda, the former1:29TPLF spokesperson who signed the1:31Pretoria deal, is now an advisor to the1:33Prime Minister, a measure of how tangled1:35the allegiances have become.1:37The TPLF has announced a press1:39conference later today. The Ethiopian1:41government has so far said nothing. What1:43remains unknown and what the world is1:45watching for are casualty figures, who1:47initiated combat, and whether this is a1:49contained clash or the opening of1:51another devastating war.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗