BY SAMUEL GETACHEW AP | POSTED BY TOE

Regional forces in Tigray in northern Ethiopia took control of the airport on Wednesday morning, prompting the state-owned carrier to cancel flights to the troubled region.

Ethiopian Airlines said it suspended flights to Tigray’s capital Mekelle and the cities of Axum and Shire “due to the current situation,” without providing further details.

A taxi driver told The Associated Press that the airport, which is usually controlled by federal forces, was occupied by soldiers from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front carrying light arms.

The driver, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said a commander ordered him to leave the airport, saying no flights would be landing.

The takeover appeared to be peaceful, with no gunfire heard in or around the airport. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front did not immediately issue a statement.

No other airlines fly to the region, although it is reachable by chartered flight.

The cancellations came three days after seven opposition groups, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, formed an alliance aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government.

Abiy’s Prosperity Party retained power in a June general election that was boycotted by the main opposition groups.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front fought federal forces during a deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia that ended with the signing of a peace agreement in November 2022.

The opposition groups announced the formation of a coalition they called the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival on Sunday.