Ethiopian crisis: Defence Forces claim 'terrorist' TPLF 'extensively crushed'
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The Ethiopian government says the National Defence and other forces have "extensively crushed" the "terrorist Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)" which has been destroying infrastructure and killing the people.
It said following the measures taken by the Ethiopian Defence Forces after the TPLF's "heinous attack" against the Northern Command last November, the government took peace and stability actions, including the declaration of unilateral ceasefire and withdrawal from Tigray region.
However, the TPLF has escalated its military operations and extended them to neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.
"The group has demolished and looted infrastructures in Amhara and Afar Regions. It has killed innocent civilians, set fire on their houses and looted crops, livestock and vandalised their farmlands destroying crops ready for harvest," a statement issued on Friday by the Ministry of National Defence Forces of Ethiopia posted by the state-owned Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) said.
"The terrorist group conducted recurrent attacks to disrupt Addis Ababa – Djibouti railway and road network and attacked Wolqayit Tsegede in a bid to forcefully open a corridor to Sudan. It also carried out repeated attacks on North Wollo Zone of Amhara region with the objective of heading forward to take control of Addis Ababa within two weeks."
However, the statement said, the National Defence Forces have "successfully foiled all these destructive attempts by inflicting huge loss on the enemy" in order to fulfill its historical responsibility of protecting the national security and sovereignty of Ethiopia.
The statement said the TPLF "opened offensives in all fronts starting from last Monday though they have been utterly defeated".
The fighting in Ethiopia has triggered a huge humanitarian crisis with an estimated 6-7 million people in need in northern Ethiopia.
These include some of the 900,000 who are facing famine-like conditions, and over 48,000 refugees who have fled from northern Ethiopia to Sudan.
The TPLF said early this week that the Ethiopian government forces had launched co-ordinated attacks on all fronts against them.
-0- PANA MA 15Oct2021
