AMN/ WEB DESK
Rebel fighters in the Tigray region of Ethiopia are continuing to gain ground after recapturing the regional capital Mekelle from government forces. The rebels have now entered the town of Shire, about 140km (90 miles) to the north-west, according to UN officials.
Eritrean troops backing the Ethiopian army had earlier abandoned the city. ]The government has declared a ceasefire in the eight-month conflict, but the rebels have vowed to drive their “enemies” from Tigray.
The fighting between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and government forces has left thousands of people dead. More than two million have been displaced and 350,000 pushed towards famine. The fighting began in November, when rebels rejected political reforms and captured army bases. Government forces captured Mekelle later that month.