Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on November 12 that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) had “liberated” the entire western section of the northern Tigray Region.
In a statement, Abiy said ENDF troops had entered the town of Shiraro. The PM claimed that the troops discovered war crimes which were committed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
“When the ENDF liberated Shiraro in western Tigray it discovered dead bodies of members of the army who were murdered by the group’s [TPLF] forces after tying their arms and legs,” Abiy said “This brutal act is heart breaking.”
The Prime Minister went on in his statement to stress that the ENDF will go on with its military operation in Tigray until the TPLF is defeated.
“This will be the end of the junta, we must hurry to rescue the survivors so that we will be able to expose the atrocities committed by the junta to the world,” said Abiy.
A day earlier, the ENDF captured Humera Airport from the TPLF. Government troops also captured a road that connects the town of Humera with the Sudanese border.
The TPLF responded by launching a counter-attack on November 12. Few sources claimed that Humera town had been recaptured by local forces, which inflicted serious losses on the ENDF. This is yet to be confirmed, however.
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According to recent reports, the clashes in Tigray have so far claimed the lives of more than 500 people. Many civilians are currently fleeing the northern region in search for a safe haven. The fighting will not likely end soon.
