Ethiopia says army capture town in Tigray

Ethiopian government says it has captured another town in the northern Tigray region after nearly two weeks of fighting.

By Nathan Morley

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said government troops had ‘liberated’ Alamata from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which holds control of Tigray.

Reports now suggest this conflict is already spilling into Eritrea and destabilising the wider Horn of Africa.

As it stands, hundreds of people have died; at least 20,000 refugees have fled to Sudan.

Over the weekend, the TPLF fired missiles at two airports in retaliation for air strikes conducted by government forces.

Last week, Abiy Ahmed deployed the national Army on an offensive against local troops in Tigray after accusing them of attacking federal troops.

Ahmed said the military would bring an end to the fighting in the region and remove its leadership, which his government regards as illegal.

The African Union and the United Nations are concerned that the fighting could spread to other parts of the country. Last week, the Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia appealed for peaceful dialogue, urging parties to resolve their differences amicably, in a spirit of respect and understanding.