The Ethiopian Emergency Situation Verification Team issued a statement on November 17, stating that the Ethiopian Defense Forces had achieved decisive victories in both the eastern and western fronts in Tigray State.
It is said that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces have occupied several towns in the eastern part of Tigray State, destroyed the fortifications of the “Tigray People’s Liberation Front” military government building, and seized some weapons.
On the western front, the town of Shire has been controlled by the National Defense Forces and is advancing towards the town of Aksum, one of Ethiopia’s famous tourist attractions.
The Ethiopian Emergency Situation Verification Team stated that hundreds of Tigray special forces and militiamen were captured during the fighting on two fronts, and the rest fled to the city of Mekele.
On the 18th local time, the inspection team updated its report stating that in order to prevent the National Defense Forces from advancing to the capital of Mek’ele, the Tigray military government destroyed many infrastructures in Mek’ele.
They blew up four bridges to Mek’ele. In order to dig trenches, the asphalt road between Shire and Aksum was destroyed.
The military conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray state military government broke out on November 4. On the 14th, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy spoke to the Tigray special forces and militias
saying that they would be given three days of surrender and calling on them to help the defense forces in the Arrest the leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front without causing casualties. On the 17th
Prime Minister Abiy announced that the three-day surrender period had ended and the “final and critical” military operation would be launched in the next few days. Currently, according to the statistics
hundreds of soldiers and civilians have been killed, and more than 27,000 Ethiopian refugees fled to neighboring Sudan, triggering the largest refugee wave in the region in 20 years.
