Ethiopian army captures Adigrat town in Tigray

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Ethiopia said on Saturday its forces have seized the town of Adigrat in the northern Tigray region.

The Ethiopian army is now advancing towards Mekelle, the capital of Tigray and the last bastion of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the State of Emergency Task Force said in a statement.

The development came a day after Ethiopian forces captured the key towns of Axum and Adwa.

“Our fellow citizens in Tigray region and those that have fled have the firm commitment of the federal government that they will be supported to resume their lives with normalcy,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Twitter.

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians have fled to neighboring Sudan due to fighting between government forces and the TPLF.

The Ethiopian army launched an operation in the northern Tigray region on Nov. 4, after TPLF forces stormed a base, killing soldiers and looting military assets.

“Together with the rest of Ethiopia, we will work to ensure that all humanitarian needs will be addressed,” said Abiy.

The premier said he will soon meet an African delegation led by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

However, he denied that the agenda of the delegation’s visit was to mediate the Tigray conflict, saying that such reports were “fake news.”