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Tigray rebels on Sunday recaptured the north Ethiopian town of Lalibela, home to a UNESCO world heritage site, local residents told AFP, 11 days after Ethiopian forces said they had re-taken control.
The announcement marks another dramatic twist in the 13-month-old conflict that has killed thousands of people and triggered a deep humanitarian crisis in the north of Africa’s second most populous nation.
Tigrayan fighters “are in the town centre, there’s no fighting”, said a resident reached by telephone on Sunday afternoon.
“Yes they came back. They are already here,” said a second resident, adding that they appeared to have come from the east, in the direction of Woldiya.
“The population, most of the people are scared. Some are running away. Most of the people, they already left because there might be a revenge. We expressed our happiness before when the junta left.”
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group’s military leadership said in a statement shared with pro-TPLF media they had launched “comprehensive counter-offensives” in numerous locations including along the road linking Gashena and Lalibela.
“Our forces first defended and then carried out counter-offensives against the huge force that was attacking on the Gashena front and surrounding areas and managed to achieve (a) glorious and astonishing victory,” it said.
On Sunday evening, the TPLF, added that “after destroying and dispersing the massive enemy force stationed in and around Gashena” it had “recaptured Gashena and its surrounding (area) and… has captured Lalibela…
Source : france24
