Much of northern Ethiopia is under a communications blackout and access for journalists is restricted, making battlefield claims difficult to verify independently.ĭessie, which is located in the Amhara region neighbouring Tigray, lies about 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. There was no immediate comment from the TPLF or the government on the situation in Dessie. 'I don't know if the soldiers left or were captured,' he told AFP, adding that he was trying to flee Dessie for the town of Kombolcha, located further south. TPLF fighters 'entered the city, with ENDF (Ethiopian National Defence Force) soldiers not seen,' said another resident who gave his name only as Mohammed.
'At around 2 am Ethiopian soldiers began retreating from the area,' said Amir, a Dessie resident who declined to give his second name. If confirmed, the fall of the town to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) would be a major blow to the federal government, which has been embroiled in a nearly year-long war with the rebels.
