Africa-Press – Ethiopia. November 5, 2025 2 minutes read Regional authorities say “six villages were seized” and “civilians shelled” in Magale Woreda; warn of retaliation if hostilities continue. There is no statement from Tigran authorities as of the publishing of this news.
Addis Abeba – The Afar Regional State government has accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and forces affiliated with it of launching a cross-border attack into its territory, alleging that the group “forcibly took control of six villages” and “shelled innocent civilians with mortars and ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns.”
The regional government warned of retaliation if hostilities continue, calling the reported attack a serious provocation threatening regional stability.
As of the time of publication, Tigray regional authorities have not issued a statement regarding the reported incidents.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, the regional government alleged that “the group has clearly started its usual act of terror.”
It further stated that on [05 November] the “TPLF clique crossed into the Afar region, specifically Zone Two, Magale Woreda, Tonsa Kebele, in the areas of War’a and Milki, and around 7:00 PM opened heavy weapon fire on innocent Afar pastoralists, thereby openly violating the Pretoria Agreement by a declaration of conflict.”
According to the statement, “peace-loving Afar elders pleaded with the group to retreat, but the clique refused and caused the conflict.”
The regional government warned that “if this desperate TPLF clique, which does not learn from its past mistakes, does not immediately cease its actions, the Afar National Regional State will fulfill its responsibility to protect the safety of its citizens and the sanctity of its borders, as well as defend itself from any external attack.”
Context
Today’s reported hostilities come amid deepening political and military divisions within Tigray and the presence of splinter armed groups operating along the Afar–Tigray border.
In September 2025, Human Rights First, a civil organization advocating for human rights, reported that 12 members of an armed group calling itself the Tigray Peace Forces (TPF) had been detained for a month without trial in the Afar region. According to the group, six of the detainees were being held in a police station in Semera, while the remaining six, including a member identified as Shewit Bitew, were held in Dubti under the custody of fellow armed group members rather than regional authorities.
The organization urged the Afar regional government to ensure the detainees are either released or brought before a court of law, warning that it would hold the regional authorities accountable for any harm incurred while some detainees remain in official custody.
The detentions followed reported fractures among former Tigrayan fighters who had broken away from the main Tigray forces after internal disputes within the Interim Administration led by Getachew Reda. Since then, Brigadier General Gebre-Egziabher Beyene, a senior member of the Tigrayan forces, claimed to have organized his own force, asserting control over “four divisions” operating in both Afar and Tigray.
The Tigray Peace Forces say they are operating in what they call “free land.” Lt. Gen. Tadesse rejected the claim, however, stating, “The free land is not inside Tigray; the free land is inside the Afar Regional State.” He emphasized that differences with the groups must be resolved peacefully, but cautioned that “any provocation coming from the Afar Region will be considered to be from the Afar Government or the Federal Government, and will not be considered as being carried out by Tegaru.”
Earlier this month, The Interim Administration of Tigray has called on armed groups operating in Afar Regional State to lay down their weapons and commit to dialogue, stressing that “Tigray’s problem must be solved by Tigrayans within Tigray.”AS
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