Ethiopia retakes UNESCO registered site from rebels: Government

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Ethiopia said Wednesday that its armed forces have retaken the UNESCO registered town of Lalibella from the Tigray rebels.

Lalibella, 880 kilometers (547 miles) north of the capital of Addis Ababa, along with its UNESCO-registered monolithic churches and international airport, was just one of the major territorial gains the army liberated from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces.

In the past week after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took to the frontline to lead the army in fighting, several major towns and strategic areas in the Amhara and Afar regional states have been seized from TPLF forces.

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces have been fighting the TPLF since November 2020 after the rebel force attacked federal army bases stationed in Tigray.

More than 3 million people were forced from their homes and nearly 10 million need emergency assistance because of the fighting that is in its 13th month.