The Ethiopian military has taken control of three towns from rebel forces in the war-torn northern Tigray region.
The government made this known on Tuesday amid growing alarm about the resurgent conflict pitting federal forces and their allies against Tigrayan rebels.
The government said in a statement; “The ENDF [Ethiopian National Defense Force] has taken control of the towns of Shire, Alamata and Korem without fighting in urban areas.”
Earlier, the Tigray Central Command said in a statement that Shire had fallen, adding that the rebels were in a “life or death” struggle.
Shire, a university town with an airport, sits at a strategic crossroads that could allow the Ethiopian military to gain wider access to other Tigray areas, such as the towns of Axum and Adwa, or even the regional capital, Mekelle.
The city hosts tens of thousands of people who were displaced from other areas by the conflict.
Ethiopia’s army and allies including troops from neighbouring Eritrea have been battling Tigrayan forces since late 2020, a conflict that has killed thousands, displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands on the brink of famine.
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