The fighting in Afar
Updated 10 Oct 2026
Fighting spread into Afar in September 2026, along the regional boundary with Tigray. Frontline tracks the clashes and changes of control reported there.
Key towns
| Town | Held by | Since | Latest report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abala | Ethiopian National Defense Force | 2 Oct 2026 | Battle, 26 Sep 2026 |
| Erebti | Ethiopian National Defense Force | 2 Oct 2026 | Control change, 2 Oct 2026 |
| Chifra | No verified report | Battle, June 2022 | |
| Dubti | No verified report |
Events per day since 20 Sep 2026
Latest events
Control change · Erebti, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
ACLED said pro-government forces retook the Afar towns of Abala, Erebti and Megale, and a humanitarian source said the TPLF had been pushed out of Afar.
Battle · Megale, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
Afar's regional communications head said Eritrean troops had crossed the border and were fighting alongside TPLF forces against the ENDF and Afar forces around Abala, Megale, Wasamana and Erebti; Eritrea called this a false allegation.
Battle · Afdera, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
Tigrayan forces and allies who had taken Erebti reportedly tried to advance toward Afdera but met strong resistance from the federal army and Afar regional forces.
Control change · Erebti, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
Joint TPLF and Ugugumo forces, both members of the Alliance for Survival coalition, captured the Afar towns of Abala and Erebti.
Control change · Erebti, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
A humanitarian source said Tigrayan forces took the town of Erebti in Afar after heavy artillery fire and were advancing towards Afdera.
Battle · Abaala town, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
Al Jazeera reported overnight fighting in the Afar border town of Abala, with differing reports on who controls it.
Shelling · Yalo, Fanti /Zone 4, Afar
A humanitarian source said Tigrayan forces launched heavy artillery attacks while trying to take the town of Yallo in Afar.
Drone strike · Abaala town, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
An aid worker told AFP of drone strikes in the hills around Abala.
Battle · Abaala town, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
An aid worker told AFP of heavy overnight fighting to repel Tigray forces trying to enter Afar.
Battle · Erebti, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
Humanitarian workers in Afar reported fighting between TPLF and federal forces in Abala and Erebti, and a foreign security source said the TPLF controlled Abala.
Control change · Abaala town, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
A foreign security source said TPLF forces took control of Abala on the Tigray-Afar border, while a TPLF source claimed several other Afar towns.
Statement · Unknown place
Afar's regional government accused the TPLF of invading and said Afar forces would defend themselves with allies.
Battle · Unknown place
Tigrayan forces fought government positions in Afar alongside a local armed group, Reuters sources said.
Battle · Unknown place
The TPLF launched an offensive on the Tigray-Afar boundary against the government-backed Tigray Peace Forces, with an Afar anti-government group fighting alongside it.
Control change · Erebti, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
A former senior TPLF official told AFP that Tigray forces had taken Berhale, Erebti, Abala, Megale, Dalul and Konoba and that federal forces were retreating; the claim was not verified.
Battle · Unknown place
Fighting broke out in Amhara and Afar, with Tigrayan forces reported fighting alongside Fano and a local Afar armed group against federal forces.
Control change · Unknown place
TPLF forces allied with the ANURF advanced into several districts of Afar Zone 2 with little resistance, according to the author.
Battle · Abaala town, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
An NGO source, a humanitarian source and a security source reported clashes between TPLF and federal forces in Abala since the previous night.
Battle · Erebti, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
Humanitarian workers reported fighting between TPLF forces and federal forces in Abala and Erebti in Afar, after an overnight TPLF attack on Abala that the Afar regional government also confirmed.
Control change · Erebti, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
Tigray forces and the ANURF took at least three towns in Afar, including Erebti, displacing at least 150,000 people.
Control change · Erebti, Kilbati /Zone 2, Afar
The TPLF took Erebti in Afar and advanced toward Afdeera.
Battle · Unknown place
TPLF fighters conducted joint operations with Afar rebels towards the Addis Ababa-Djibouti highway.
Battle · Unknown place
The International Crisis Group said an Afar opposition group fought alongside the TPLF on the Tigray-Afar border.
Statement · Unknown place
Seven armed opposition groups (the Amhara Fano National Movement, Oromo Liberation Army, TPLF, ONLF, Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front/Ugugumo, Benishangul Peoples' Liberation Movement and Gumuz Peoples' Democratic Movement) announced a joint alliance, the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, with the stated aim of removing the federal government and establishing a transitional government.
Statement · Unknown place
Seven armed groups announced the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, aiming to replace the federal government with a transitional government.
Questions and answers
Who controls Abala?
As of 10 Oct 2026, Frontline's map shows Abala as held by Ethiopian National Defense Force since 2 Oct 2026, based on grade B sources.
Who controls Erebti?
As of 10 Oct 2026, Frontline's map shows Erebti as held by Ethiopian National Defense Force since 2 Oct 2026, based on grade B sources.
Who controls Chifra?
Frontline has no verified report of who holds Chifra as of 10 Oct 2026. On the map it is shown as unknown rather than with an old colour.
How many drone and air strikes have been reported?
Since 20 Sep 2026, 1 drone and air strikes have been reported here; 1 of them rest on at least one independent source.
What is the latest?
The most recent report Frontline has recorded, from 2 Oct 2026: ACLED said pro-government forces retook the Afar towns of Abala, Erebti and Megale, and a humanitarian source said the TPLF had been pushed out of Afar.
How is this information checked?
Every event links to its sources and carries a grade. Only reports confirmed by an independent source (grades A and B) move the map; a party's own claim is shown as a claim and never changes it.