Brief
Ethiopian forces enter Adwa without resistance, residents report looting
Witnesses say Ethiopian troops and a militia moved into Adwa peacefully, while shops were closed and some government buildings were looted.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Ethiopian federal forces and an allied militia entered the northwestern Tigray town of Adwa on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2026, without encountering armed resistance, according to local witnesses reported by Al Jazeera.
Adwa lies about 40 km (24 miles) from the Eritrean border. Residents said the troops arrived after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) withdrew its fighters from the town. One unnamed resident confirmed the TPLF’s pullout but noted that government forces had not yet reached the town centre, describing empty roads and a climate of fear of theft.
Local accounts described widespread shop closures and looting of government institutions, including Adwa Hospital, during the night before the troops’ arrival. "All the shops in the town are closed. Last night, many government institutions, including Adwa Hospital, were looted," a resident identified only as Aferwerki told AFP, as cited by Al Jazeera.
Earlier in the week, Ethiopian drone strikes hit a hotel in Adwa on Oct. 4, wounding between five and nine people, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Some ACLED sources suggested that TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael and other senior officials were present at the hotel, though the report stressed that this information had not been verified.
The latest development follows Ethiopian forces’ capture of the regional capital Mekelle earlier in the week, after the TPLF announced its withdrawal and temporarily relocated its regional administration. Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Mekelle on Sunday, the first since Sep. 23, 2026, when the rebel alliance seized the airport.
Key facts
- Ethiopian federal forces and an allied militia entered Adwa without a fight on Oct. 12, 2026. (aljazeera.com)
- Residents reported that shops were closed and government buildings, including Adwa Hospital, were looted the night before the troops' arrival. (aljazeera.com)
- ACLED recorded drone strikes on an Adwa hotel on Oct. 4, wounding 5‑9 people, with unverified reports of TPLF leaders being present. (aljazeera.com)
- The TPLF withdrew its fighters from Adwa prior to the federal entry, according to local witnesses. (aljazeera.com)
- Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Mekelle on Oct. 12, the first since Sep. 23, 2026. (aljazeera.com)
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “Ethiopian forces enter strategic Tigray town of Adwa, witnesses say”
