The Tigray administration, led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), said it had left Mekelle and would continue to lead the fight from another location. The announcement came as federal forces entered the capital of the Tigray region on Saturday. The TPLF described its withdrawal from Mekelle as a strategic decision rather than an end to its resistance, saying its leadership would continue coordinating the struggle from elsewhere and calling on its supporters to remain committed to the cause.

In a statement, the TPLF said it had decided to withdraw from Mekelle after taking into account the potential consequences of continued fighting in the densely populated capital. It said the move was to avoid giving federal forces a reason to bombard the city, potentially harming civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure.

Federal and allied forces have been seen in Mekelle since Saturday evening, after taking control of the city. Witnesses said widespread looting broke out at public institutions before the forces moved in, with government offices across the city reportedly ransacked over the following 24 hours, including the regional president’s office and several police stations. In some cases, TPLF soldiers themselves took computers from courts and police stations before leaving the city, sources say. Afterward, young people, including some teenagers, continued the looting. At one police station, teenagers reportedly took rifles that had been left behind by TPLF forces. They were later seen carrying the weapons in public, causing fear among residents.

Meanwhile, telephone and internet services, which had been cut off in the city for the past 10 days, were restored on Sunday. Sources said the TPLF had ordered state-owned Ethio Telecom and private operator Safaricom to shut down their networks.