Fighting between Ethiopia’s federal government forces and Tigrayan regional forces has broken out in the Tigray region, which has been gripped by months of rising tensions, according to officials from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government.

Reports of fighting emerged on Wednesday morning after Tigrayan forces reportedly took control of Mekelle Airport, disrupting flights.

Federal government adviser and former president of the Tigray region, Getachew Reda, said that TPLF leaders launched an all-out offensive against government positions in the Afar and Amhara regions early this morning. TPLF authorities administering Tigray, however, described the fighting as a defensive response to what they said was a federal government invasion involving drones and artillery.

Getachew Reda wrote on X that, despite efforts by many, including the international community, to prevent another round of war in Tigray, fighting has broken out.

TPLF leaders, meanwhile, said their forces had been forced to respond defensively, accusing government forces of launching the first attack.

The TPLF has been at odds with the federal government since its leaders took control of Tigray and dismantled the region’s interim administration. Tensions have persisted, with sporadic clashes reported between the two sides. There have also been several drone strikes targeting TPLF forces in parts of Tigray in recent months.

The Afar Regional State Communication Bureau said in a statement posted on Facebook that the TPLF launched attacks overnight in several areas of the Kilbeti Resu Zone, including Abala, Megale and Waséma.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front has reportedly joined an alliance with six other armed groups, including the Amhara Fano and Oromo Liberation Army, which says it aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie warned the UN General Assembly of “forces of destruction and mayhem.”

African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has called for an “immediate de-escalation” and urged both sides to resume talks under the framework of the Pretoria Agreement. He also called on all of Ethiopia’s neighbouring countries to refrain from actions that could contribute to further escalation. The US ambassador to Ethiopia condemned what he described as a “poor decision” by the group sanctioned by the United States earlier this year to launch a “large-scale offensive,” calling it an “unwinnable fight.”