Current Wars in the World See Ethiopian Forces Retake Tigray Capital

Ethiopian government forces have seized the Tigray regional capital of Mekelle from rebel forces, who withdrew citing civilian risks, marking a major escalation in the Horn of Africa conflict as current wars in the world draw renewed international attention. Pro-government forces now control the city after Tigray People's Liberation Front forces temporarily withdrew. Mobile phone services have resumed in parts of Mekelle. [2][5]

Tigray Capital Changes Hands

Tigray People's Liberation Front forces said they retreated from Mekelle because of concerns about risks to civilians. [2] Two residents in Mekelle told the BBC that pro-government forces now control the city and that TPLF forces have abandoned it. [2] One resident also said mobile phone services appear to have resumed in parts of the city. [2] Ethiopian government forces and allied militias have regained control of the capital of Tigray, with fighters from the Tigray Peace Forces entering the centre of Mekelle on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Ethiopian military. [5] A humanitarian source and a Mekelle resident confirmed the city was controlled by government forces. [5] The Tigray People's Liberation Front, which leads the opposition alliance, said in a statement posted on Facebook it had retreated from the capital and that the regional government would be temporarily moved out of Mekelle and operate from somewhere else. [5] The taking of Mekelle by pro-government forces is a major loss for the opposition alliance led by the TPLF. [5]

Background to Renewed Ethiopian Fighting

Tigray residents have been trying to recover from a devastating two-year civil war that ended in 2022 when the African Union brokered a peace deal, known as the Pretoria Agreement, between the two sides. [2] However, in the last six months there has been a worsening of relations, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement. [2] Last month, the TPLF joined six other armed movements, including the Fano militia from Amhara, to form an alliance whose stated objective is to remove Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government from power. [2] The civil war was one of the most deadly conflicts this century, with the AU's mediator estimating some 600,000 people died as the fighting drove the region to the precipice of famine. [2] Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters have made a quick counterattack into Tigray, but analysts say the fighting, the worst escalation since the 2020-2022 civil war, threatens to escalate into a wider regional conflict. [5] The TPLF recently joined an alliance of six other armed groups, including the Fano militia from Amhara, with the goal of removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. [2][5]

Yemeni leader announces counter-offensive after Houthis cut supply route to besieged city. — Source: france24

Regional Diplomatic Fallout

On Friday, neighbours Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations with each other after Addis Ababa accused Asmara of supporting a new rebel alliance, an allegation that it denied. [2] Ethiopia has also accused Egypt of supporting the rebels, leading to the expulsion of an Egyptian diplomat, which Cairo responded to by ordering an Ethiopian embassy official to leave within the same period. [2] The federal government in Addis Ababa severed diplomatic ties with Eritrea last week, accusing it of supporting the rebel alliance alongside Sudan and Egypt. [5] The three countries deny this. [5] The US Department of State called for restraint and dialogue on all sides ahead of a diplomatic meeting about the conflict in Egypt on Sunday with leaders from some of Ethiopia's neighbours. [2] The United Nations has warned that the deteriorating security situation in northern Ethiopia is severely disrupting humanitarian work and has called on all sides to guarantee safe and unhindered access to people in need. [2]

Escalation in Yemen's Civil War

The head of Yemen's presidential council on Sunday announced the start of a new military operation to retake all territory held by Iran-backed Houthi fighters. [3] Rashad al-Alimi said in a statement, "I announce today the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory." [3] Alimi called on the armed forces, security forces and all military formations to begin carrying out their assigned missions, in accordance with the approved plans, until the country is liberated from the grip of the Houthi terrorist militia. [3] Several security sources also told AFP that the group had effectively encircled Taiz after cutting the main supply route to the government-held city. [3] The Houthi advance follows days of heavy fighting in and around the city of Taiz between the group and government forces. [3] A police source in the area told AFP, "We were informed that the Houthis had taken control of the al-Safiya area, where they cut the main road and took control of the police station." [3] Three sources with the Yemeni military also confirmed Houthi control over the area and supply route, with the group effectively encircling Taiz city. [3] The military sources added that the Houthis had also halted traffic on the main road linking Taiz to Aden, with fighting in the area ongoing. [3] The city itself remains under the control of government forces but has long been besieged from the north, east and west by Houthi fighters and remains one of the main fronts in Yemen's civil war. [3] Farea Al-Muslimi, research fellow at the Chatham House think-tank, told AFP, "They've achieved the military objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, even if they haven't fully taken control of it." [3] The Houthi's Al-Masirah TV channel reported Saudi strikes in the northern governorates of al-Jawf and Saada, saying at least two people had been wounded. [3] The strikes come a day after Yemen's government said its forces hit Houthi targets around the country, including in the capital Sanaa, the northwestern governorate of Saada and the group's positions near Taiz in the southwest. [3] Since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the government, it has primarily been Riyadh's forces that have carried out airstrikes against the Houthis. [3] Experts believe the recent operations have most likely been conducted by Saudi warplanes rather than the Yemeni air force. [3] Following several years of relative calm, Yemen's war reignited in July against the backdrop of the widening Middle East war. [3] Fighting intensified in September as the Houthis launched a lightning offensive that saw them seize Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping lane. [3] The Houthis have in parallel launched a blockade on Saudi energy exports, already squeezed by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. [3] Yemen's war erupted in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa from the Saudi-backed government, before going on to take control of swaths of the country's north. [3] Riyadh intervened in the war the following year as the head of the international coalition. [3]

Nigeria Attack by Lakurawa Fighters

The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed an attack by suspected Lakurawa fighters on Ungushi community in Kebbe Local Government Area of the state. [1] The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, had been reported by the Divisional Police Officer in the area. [1] The command’s spokesman, DSP Ahmed Rufai, confirmed the attack while speaking with a correspondent, saying the incident has been reported by the DPO in the area and that details were still being awaited. [1] Residents said the attackers surrounded the community and opened fire on residents before community vigilantes engaged them in a gun battle. [1] According to the residents, the vigilantes killed three of the attackers during the exchange of fire. [1] The attack reportedly left two residents dead. They were identified as Ali Kaurar Yaku Marshall and Lukman Bawa, a welder. [1] A vigilante, Mustapha Auwalu, was also reportedly shot in the right leg during the confrontation. [1] He was subsequently taken to the General Hospital, where medical personnel removed the bullet. [1] The fresh attack has heightened fears among residents, who called for urgent government intervention and increased security presence in the community to prevent further attacks. [1] Residents also appealed to security agencies to strengthen patrols and protect communities in the area from further attacks by armed groups. [1]

Settler Drone Use in West Bank

Israeli settler Elisha Yered, a member of the Frontline Hills Administration, posted on X on September 3, 2026, claiming to have distributed drones to four settlements in the West Bank. [4] In the caption, he wrote that drones are an essential tool on the ground both for monitoring attacks and arson in real time, and for documenting events and refuting blood libel allegations, adding a huge thank you to the Jewish people who contributed to the purchase of this security equipment. [4] Elisha Yered is also a member of the Hilltop Youth, a movement of young settlers who regularly commit acts of violence against Palestinians and their villages in the occupied West Bank. [4] He is accused of being part of a group of armed settlers who killed a 19-year-old Palestinian, Qusai Jammal Mi’tan, in August 2023 in the Palestinian village of Burqa. [4] He has been under European sanctions since April 2024. [4] On June 19, 2026, in Taybeh, a village north-east of Ramallah, an activist filmed his colleague sitting on the ground while a drone flew overhead. [4] According to him, this surveillance is a recurring occurrence as settlers send drones to identify the presence of activists so that they can report them to the Israeli army. [4] Abdel, a Bedouin cattle farmer who lives near Jericho, northwest of the Dead Sea, says he and his family were forced to leave their village of Shalal al-Auja in January 2026 following numerous attacks by settlers. [4] He attests that the same settlers followed them to their new home and are prolonging their suffering. [4] He says intimidation attempts occur almost daily, with drones sent over at night, during the day, in the morning, at any time. [4] Shai Gortler, a research associate at the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, states that four entities use drones in the occupied West Bank: settlers to intimidate and gather information, regional councils to monitor new construction by Palestinians, NGOs such as Regavim to monitor the presence of new constructions and call for demolitions, and the Israeli army for surveillance and demolition. [4] Faris, a farmer in the village of Burqa in the Ramallah Governorate, says he has witnessed drones flying over the area to scatter the sheep, with settlers using drones to scare the sheep away by flying them very close to the flock. [4] He notes that the problem with drones is serious because they even infringe on privacy right inside homes. [4] Since its formation in 2022, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has accelerated the establishment of new settlements in the occupied West Bank and has approved the creation of 103 of them. [4] In 2026, the Israeli government allocated 50 million shekels, more than €14 million, to fund security equipment, including drones, and infrastructure for outposts and illegal settlements in the West Bank. [4]

What to watch next: The US called for restraint ahead of talks in Egypt, while the UN warned that the deteriorating security situation in northern Ethiopia is severely disrupting humanitarian work.