The rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on Saturday recaptured Korem and Alamata towns in disputed Raya zone in Ethiopia’s Amhara regional state.
The heavily armed TPLF forces entered the towns without a fight. The towns were left undefended after Amhara forces were ordered to retreat by Agegnehu Teshager, president of the Amhara regional state, APA can learn on Saturday.
Residents of Kobo town told APA in telephone interview that intense fighting took place on Friday afternoon a few kilometers north of the town.
Oromiya Special Force troops that were camped in Kobo left the town and headed for Woldya a few hours before the Kobo fight started, according to information reaching to APA.
APA also learned that 200 members of the Tana Brigade of the Amhara Special Force were arrested for disobeying orders to withdraw from Alamata on Friday.
A mechanized TPLF force numbering over 20,000 is reportedly heading for the Afar Region towards Semara tonight.
It appears that TPLF is shifting its focus from the heavily defended Wolkait to Djibouti in its quest for an outlet.
MG/abj/APA