Ethiopia’s military and allied militiamen captured a strategic town in the conflict-hit region of Tigray, a pro-government militia said on Monday, turning the tables after an opposition offensive launched from the region last week.
Video posted by the pro-government Tigray Peace Force on its Facebook page and verified by Reuters showed soldiers marching through the streets of Alamata, a town about 120 kilometres south of Tigray’s capital of Mekelle, waving Ethiopian flags.
Two diplomatic sources also said the town had fallen, while a source with links to pro-opposition forces told Reuters they were retreating from Alamata and expected the town to be under the federal military’s control in a matter of hours.
The latest fighting pits Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a guerrilla movement turned political party that dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades until Abiy took office in 2018.
Spokesperson for the Ethiopian military and the TPLF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
–Reuters–
