By Crispin Adriaanse 
1h ago
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Multiple reports have been emerging this week of renewed heavy fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region in what has been described as the Tigray Defense Forces’ (TDF) “first major offensive” against federal forces.
Several areas in Ethiopia’s restive northern Tigray region were affected by fighting between the Ethiopian National Defense Force’s (ENDF) soldiers and the rebel TDF this week, according to the BBC.
Rashid Abdi, an independent Horn of Africa analyst and former editor of Kenyan news platform Nation, said the fighting was concentrated around Adigrat, nearly 30km south of the Eritrean border and 100km north of Tigray’s capital, Mekelle.
Update:
This week saw heaviest fighting since Nov 2020 in Tigray. Fighting concentrated around Adigrat (over 100 km north of Mekelle). Both TDF & ENDF claiming victory.
Total comms blackout in area of fighting. Eyewitnesses speak of ENDF retreat, aerial strikes on TDF positions
— Rashid Abdi (@RAbdiAnalyst) June 23, 2021
Abdi further said there has been a communication blackout in the region, with the ENDF retreating and air strikes on TDF strongholds.
Ethiopian army said in disarray in northern Tigray. TDF rolling into towns and villages. Intense bombardments to stop TDF. Heavy casualties on all sides.
Eritrean pullout cited as major cause for ENDF reversals.
Afewerki leaving Abiy to his fate?
— Rashid Abdi (@RAbdiAnalyst) June 23, 2021
“TDF rolling into towns and villages. Intense bombardments to stop TDF. Heavy casualties on all sides,” Abdi wrote on social media on Wednesday.
The Europe External Programme with Africa (EEPA), a Belgium-based centre of expertise with an extensive network in the Horn of Africa, released a situation report on Wednesday saying that the TDF had captured Adigrat with ease.
However, the ENDF has denied Adigrat being captured by the TDF.
Agulae, a town 45km north of Mekelle, has reportedly been captured by the TDF, EEPA said.
According to EEPA, multiple reports have also stated that several people were killed in an air strike by the ENDF in the town of Togoga, roughly 25km from Mekelle.
Dozens reported killed and wounded after the Ethiopian Air Force bombed a market in #Togoga yesterday. With a death toll still rising after ambulances and medical workers were blocked from entering the area. pic.twitter.com/0aAR4jctJd
— Ethiopia Map (@MapEthiopia) June 23, 2021
Martin Plaut, a journalist specialising in conflict in the Horn of Africa, tweeted on Wednesday a figure of 54 civilians being killed in Togoga and a further 153 wounded in the bombing.
Tigray: Togoga bombing yesterday: report that 54 civilians have died and 153 wounded. The number of casualties could rise as Ambulances were blocked at the check point by Ethiopian soldiers. Prevented from picking up the wounded. 😢
— Martin Plaut (@martinplaut) June 23, 2021
“The number of casualties could rise as ambulances were blocked at the checkpoint by Ethiopian soldiers. Prevented from picking up the wounded,” he wrote.
The BBC reported that those injured in the air strike included a 2-year-old child and a 16-year-old boy.
The ENDF has reportedly denied that the air strike targeted civilians, saying its goal was to neutralise terrorists, wrote the BBC.
BBC Tigrinya service says residents in the towns of Wukro, Adigrat and Hager Selam told them they had seen TDF troops on their streets for the first time since November, as the TDF launched their first major offensive. Celebrations, chanting and clapping.
— Martin Plaut (@martinplaut) June 23, 2021
The latest attacks by the TDF are being called “their first major offensive”.
The TDF has reportedly killed more than 10 000 soldiers and captured over 3 300 more, in addition to seizing weapons, ammunition and vehicles, according to Gebre Gebretsadkan, a spokesperson for the TDF.
Tghat Media has released footage showing hundreds of captured ENDF soldiers supposedly in Gijet. pic.twitter.com/OKLtBBdCuN
— Ethiopia Map (@MapEthiopia) June 22, 2021
Gebre claims:
– 10,000+ ENDF soldiers killed,
– 3,356+ officers captured, including Colonel Husen, commander of 11th division
– Full military depot, 144 various vehicles capturedDimtsi Weyane, 23/06/21https://t.co/0p1sKW0ui4
— Martin Plaut (@martinplaut) June 23, 2021
EEPA has corroborated “images shown of large numbers of prisoners of war (POW) taken by the TDF”.
The conflict in the Tigray region has been ongoing since November 2020 when the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) attacked an ENDF military base in Tigray. The ENDF responded with a military offensive.
The TPLF has been labelled a terrorist group by the Ethiopian government.
Statement by H.E. Dr. Gedion Timothewos, Attorney General of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia At The 47th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council pic.twitter.com/SPGPoiJeDg
— Attorney General of Ethiopia ጠቅላይ ዐቃቤ ሕግ (@FAGEthiopia) June 23, 2021
Thousands have been killed in the conflict, according to the BBC.
EEPA, citing the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), has reported of more than 1.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Tigray.
African News Agency (ANA)