Ethiopia's PM says Tigray operation 'completed' as army seizes Mekelle

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has announced victory against heavily armed rebels in the northern Tigray region.

According to Press TV, the premier said in a statement on his Twitter account on Saturday that government forces had captured and gained control of the regional capital, Mekelle.

“The federal government is now fully in control of the city of Mekelle,” the PM announced.

Abiy said government troops had freed thousands of federal forces from the army’s Northern Command, who had been taken hostage by the rebels.

Federal troops had also taken control of the airport, the regional administration office and other key facilities, he added.

Since November 3, the Ethiopian army had been engaged in fierce fighting against the Tigrayan forces in a war that has shaken the Horn of Africa. The offensive had started in response to rebel attacks on federal forces in Mekelle and Dansha.

There were no reports of any casualties on Saturday. However, the United Nations has said hundreds of people have died in the fighting.

In addition, about one million people have been forced from their homes, including about 40,000 refugees who have crossed the border into neighboring Sudan.

Human rights groups have warned of the plight of the refugees fleeing the conflict. 

ME