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The Ethiopian army announced on Sunday that it has restored its control of the town of Idaga Hamus, 97 km from Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region.
Writing on its official Twitter account, the country’s task force said: “Our defense force took control of the town of Idaga Hamus, which is located on the Adigrat to Mekelle road. The defense force advances to capture Mekelle, which is the final objective of the operation.
Federal forces recently seized control of several towns and villages in the rebel region during aerial bombardments and ground fighting.
On November 4, tensions between the Ethiopian Federal Government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) escalated into a military escalation, when the TPLF seized a federal military base. The TPLF attack resulted in many deaths, injuries, and property damage.
In addition, federal authorities closed all facilities in the region, including electricity, telephone and internet services, and declared a state of emergency in Tigray.
About 30,000 refugees from the region’s residents have fled to neighboring Sudan since the fighting began.
On Sunday, a spokesman for the federal forces warned rebels in Tigray that they could engage army tanks and artillery to end the war. He urged the civilian population of the region to “save themselves.”
The United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU), among others, called on the parties involved to a truce, with the option of negotiation accepted by the leaders of Tigray.
But Ethiopia’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, rejected any mediation and expressed his intention to continue the war until the insurgency ended.
“The next phases are the decisive part of the operation, which is to surround Mekelle with tanks,” military spokesman Colonel Dejene Tsegaye said in statements to Ethiopian state media.
He added: “We want to send a message to the public in Mekelle to save themselves from any artillery attack and break free from the junta. There will be no mercy. “
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called for “urgent support” to help the influx of Ethiopian refugees fleeing to Sudan.
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