Tigray rebels enter Ethiopia's historic town of Lalibella

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - Tigray rebels in Ethiopia have reportedly captured the historical town of Lalibella, with the country's military denying on Friday what it called propaganda.

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces' statement came a day after the reports that the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the North Wollo zone of the Amhara region fell to fighters of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

The TPLF forces have been encroaching on neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara since the federal army pulled out its forces from Tigray after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared a unilateral cease-fire to purportedly give farmers in Tigray the chance to make use of the current rainy season for harvesting.

An eye witness told Anadolu Agency over the phone on Thursday that the Tigray rebels had entered the town, but fighting continued.

The UN was quick to react to the news on Thursday, calling on the rebels not to harm the Lalibella monolithic churches built in the 12th century by King Lalibella and considered one of the architectural wonders of the world.

It came a day after USAID head Samantha Power paid a visit to Ethiopia, where she urged rebels to immediately leave areas they captured in the Afar and Amhara regional states.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Defense, federal forces were defending against the encroachment of TPLF forces through areas known as Muja and Dilb in the North Wollo zone.

Nearly 2 million people were displaced in the 10-month conflict between a hitherto powerful TPLF and the federal military after the former attacked the northern command of the Ethiopian army stationed across Tigray, including in the capital Mekele, killing soldiers and reportedly looting sizable military hardware.

The TPLF led Ethiopia for 27 years at the head of a four-party coalition prior to 2018. Its demise came about through a struggle launched by young people in the most populous regions of Oromia and Amhara.​​​​​​​