Ethiopia: Tigrayan rebels at the gates of the city of Dessie in the Amhara region

A member of an Amhara militia stands guard in the town of Dessia, Ethiopia. (Illustrative image) AFP - EDUARDO SOTERAS

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The government carried out new airstrikes on Mekele, the provincial capital of Tigray.

A bombardment which would have killed at least six victims according to the Tigrayan rebels of the TPLF.

The federal army carried out these strikes while at the same time, it seems to be losing ground in the south, in the Amhara region.

The town of Dessie is almost under siege.

And now a battle is announced which could be decisive in the continuation of this war which has lasted for almost a year.

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With our correspondent in Addis Ababa,

Dessie, with more than 200,000 inhabitants, has a strategic position on the road between Tigray and Addis Ababa.

For several weeks, the soldiers of the Tigrayan forces have inexorably approached the city.

Now their cannons surround Dessie and they would be very close to entering it.

Fighting takes place in the northern suburbs and artillery fire is approaching the university.

Thursday, the president of the TPLF announced that the last chapter of this battle was going to be played out.

He also called on the inhabitants to be calm.

“ 

” he said.

Yet another source close to the rebels claimed that the TPLF did not immediately want to enter the city, but preferred to bypass it to continue their journey south and the capital Addis Ababa.

At the same time, 400 km further north, in Mekele, airstrikes killed at least 6 people and left around 20 injured, according to Tigrayan media.

This is refuted by the federal government, which claims to have destroyed an industrial complex used to arm the rebels.

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• Ethiopia