Ethiopian government forces and allied fighters have killed a senior Tigray rebel commander and captured two others as fighting intensifies in northern Ethiopia, according to political activist Jawar Mohammed.
Col. Semere Teklu, who commanded the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s (TPLF) 92nd Army unit, was killed during clashes in Bizet, eastern Tigray, Jawar said on Tuesday.
He said Ethiopian troops, supported by the allied Tigray Peace Forces (TPF), also captured Hailesilassie Asefa, commander of the TPLF’s 15th Army unit, and Col. Kahsay Teklu, the group’s logistics chief.
Several fighters under their command were also reportedly taken prisoner.
The reported losses came days after the TPLF claimed its fighters had killed 500 Ethiopian soldiers and wounded another 800 during clashes near the historic city of Aksum on October 31.
The competing battlefield claims could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian government forces have regained control of Wuchale town in the neighboring Amhara region from Fano rebels, according to privately owned Wazema Radio.
Tigray authorities impose election restrictions
In a separate development, Tigray’s federally appointed interim administration has introduced new eligibility rules for candidates seeking local administrative positions.
The regulations prohibit individuals involved in the previous conflict on behalf of groups designated illegal by the authorities from contesting local elections, Wazema Radio reported.
Candidates must also have no political party affiliations, a requirement that effectively prevents members of established political parties from standing.
The measures come as the interim administration, established by Ethiopia’s federal government in October, prepares to organize local elections within six months.
The restrictions are being introduced against a backdrop of renewed fighting between federal forces and TPLF fighters, raising concerns about the region’s political future.
The latest escalation threatens to undermine efforts to stabilize Tigray following the devastating 2020–2022 war, which ended with the Pretoria peace agreement.
Rising tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea have further complicated the security situation, fueling fears that the renewed conflict could spread across the Horn of Africa.
