The Tigray Peace and Security Bureau accused armed groups of attacking TPLF forces stationed in the Milazat area. In a post last night, it reported that one of its members was killed in the assault and identified the Tigray fighter as Andai Kindeya, who died in the clashes on Wednesday.

The Bureau accused certain branches of the former Tigray security forces, now based along the border between the Tigray region and Afar, of operating under the name ‘Hara Meret’ (meaning ‘Free Land’) and of perpetuating the attack. The splinter group, which broke away from the TPLF, opposes the faction led by Debretsion Gebremichael and the Tigray military command, claiming they launched an operation to remove them. Having rebranded themselves as the ‘Tigray Peace Force,’ these militants have reportedly clashed with TPLF security forces in the southeast.

The post from the Tigray region’s Security Bureau stated that the militants, who operate under the guise of ‘Free Land,’ are ‘supported by foreign forces and guided by the Semeret party, causing Tigrayans to clash with one another. The Semeret party, founded and led by Getachew Reda—who previously headed the Tigray administration—was abruptly expelled from Mekele in October 2024. He later reappeared in Addis Ababa, where he was appointed as Abiy Ahmed’s Advisor for East Africa.

In a Facebook post published 14 hours ago, Getachew Reda accused the so-called Tigray Security Bureau of money laundering, alleging it is part of a criminal network that threatens the very existence of Tigray. In response to accusations against him and his newly formed party, Getachew denied any involvement in the supposed clash, stating that he had ‘neither soldiers nor money’.

The Tigray region, after enduring three years of conflict, has experienced a period of relative peace since the signing of the Pretoria Agreement. However, it has once again become embroiled in tension. Recently, the Tigray administration’s decision to change the leadership in the southern zone, whose leaders were reportedly aligned with Getachew Reda, has sparked resistance.

The brutal killing of a family in Alamata town this past week has stirred anger. The Tigray Security Bureau said it was not responsible and instead placed the blame squarely on federal government forces. The Bureau claimed that although various security forces were active in the area, the town of Alamata was under command post control, with the Federal Defense Forces and Federal Police responsible for its administration. On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, an attack on the family of Solomon Ayalew in Alamata town killed two children and injured other members of the family. The mayor of Alamata town, Zinabu Desta, told the BBC that this was not an isolated incident, noting that armed individuals have been continuously abducting and killing residents in the town.