Mereja.Forum

Rebels claim control of Ethiopian city, sparking govt denials

By AFP. ETHIOPIA. LISTEN   20 MINUTES AGO   

Tigrayan rebels said Saturday they have secured "full control" of the strategic northern Ethiopian city of Dessie, sparking a furious denial by the government even as residents reported a retreat by federal forces from the area.

The capture of Dessie by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) marks a new step in its offensive in the nearly year-long war, after it retook most of Tigray from federal forces in June and expanded its presence into neighbouring regions.

"The city of Dessie is under full control of our forces," Kindeya Gebrehiwot, a spokesman for the TPLF, said on Twitter.

Ethiopia's government denied the rebels' claim, saying: "Dessie and its surroundings are still under our security forces."

But residents told AFP earlier that Ethiopian forces had retreated from Dessie, following heavy fighting and power outages.

Much of northern Ethiopia is under a communications blackout and access for journalists is restricted, making battlefield claims difficult to verify independently.

"At around 2 am Ethiopian soldiers began retreating from the area," said Amir, a Dessie resident who declined to give his second name.

TPLF fighters "entered the city, with ENDF (Ethiopian National Defence Force) soldiers not seen," said another resident who gave his name only as Mohammed.

"I don't know if the soldiers left or were captured," he told AFP, adding that he was trying to flee to the town of Kombolcha, located further south.