PM-led Forces’ Recent Gains “Strong Blow to Terrorist TPLF”, says Press Secretary
ADDIS ABABA – Thousands of fighters are being apprehended after the National Defense Force and regional forces, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, liberated a string of towns and areas from TPLF, according to the PM office.
“We are in the second week since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been leading troops from the front and remarkable gains have been made thus far by the defense forces and regional forces,” said Billene Seyoum, Press secretary of the PM office.
Billene said this a day after the national forces took control of the strategic town of Dessie and the industrial town of Kombolcha.
“In addition to many strategic locations that have been taken over by the national forces over the past two weeks, yesterday’s feat is a strong blow to terrorist group that is in disarray,” Billene said.
She said the killing of 12 TPLF’s senior ranking military personnel in an operation a week ago has contributed “to this grave defeat on the battlefront”.
The national forces are now apprehending TPLF fighters “in great numbers with many also heeding the call to surrender,” the press secretary said.
IC’s Double Standard
Speaking about the aftermath of TPLF’s occupation of towns in the Amhara and Afar regions, Billene said the terrorist group “has left behind an overwhelming amount of destruction to public and private property”.
Lalibela international airport is among the infrastructures heavily damaged by the TPLF troops.
Besides, she said “there is evidence emerging across many towns of grave atrocities and human rights abuses inflicted by TPLF upon innocent civilians”.
Reports of mass killings have already come out from Gashena and the North Shoa town of Ansokia, following their liberation.
“Similarly, vast reports of rape are also emerging across these towns that were occupied by TPLF,” Billene said.
“Again, while these are initial testimonies that we are sharing and that are surfacing, further investigations are needed to expose these grave human rights violations and also to hold the group accountable,” she added.
The press secretary has, however, lamented the failure of some western countries and international organizations to look into human rights violations and atrocities that the TPLF committed while invading Afar and Amhara regional states.
This “makes it clear the politically motivated and double standard position towards current human rights issues in Ethiopia,” Billene said.
[Featured photo FBC]
