Ethiopia Battle Updates: North Wollo, North Gondar

September 3, 2021

Battles in North Wollo, North Gonder and Waghumra turned out to be disasters for Tigray People’s Liberation Front 

Photo souce : EDF

Borkena

The Ethiopian Defense Force and regional special forces have been winning battles after battles and retaking towns that were controlled by the terrorist Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). But that does not seem to be taken as an achievement, rightly, as far as the Ethiopian Defense Force is concerned.  

Mesay Mekonnen, Ethiopian Satellite Television news anchor, spoke to the spokesperson of the Ethiopian Defense Force, Colonel Getnet Adane, as he revealed it on his social media page. 

He posed a question, “We are hearing reports that the Ethiopian Defense Force and other Ethiopian forces have controlled some towns. Could you confirm?” 

The answer was ” ‘Sekota is retaken,’ ‘Debre Zebit is freed’ could not be news for us. Woldia is retaken from TPLF ; Kobo is freed should not be considered as victory. Even if we take Mekele it can not be news. These are all ours. What could become news is when we  capture the leaders of the terrorist group.” 

However, from news coverage by state media and other local sources, it is like there was a battle almost every day for over a week now. And the terrorist TPLF do not seem to be able to win a single one. 

Launching an offensive on multiple fronts with small groups of terrorist combatants seems to be the major technique that the TPLF is  employing to keep Ethiopian forces busy. The purpose seems to be buying time while intensifying the propaganda war in different forms. Since protracted wars trigger massive economic crises, especially for a country like Ethiopia, TPLF might be counting on it as a strategy. It remains to be seen if it will succeed in that. 

From the latest update from state media, TPLF has suffered another loss in Maytebri, North Gondar. Forces led by Colonel Kiros Gebrekidan are reportedly routed. The terrorist group was engaged in Zinjero Afaf, Buna Meda, Worq Amba and Beqlo Manekia. Many of the forces were killed and the remaining captured. Number of deaths and those who surrendered were unspecified. However, the commanders are reportedly dead. 

In North Wollo, Mersa area, Dire Roka district the TPLF force has suffered a devastating defeat. It was the Republican Guard division of the defense force that was deployed in the area. According to defense sources, TPLF’s intention was to cut through Afar and take control of Mille. Foiled. 

In the Waghumera zone,TPLF lost  Sekota town  which it controlled for several days.  Agegnehu Teshager, Amhara regional state president, confirmed the news in a Twitter message. He tweeted in Amharic, “The brave Amhara region special forces took control of Sekota town that was under TIHNEG [ Amharic acronym for TPLF] for days. I express my gratitude for the youth of Sekota and Heros of Wagh for the sacrifices you paid. TIHNEG will be annihilated.” 

Ethiopian Defense Force had also a military engagement in the Benishangul Gumuz region where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project is located. 

Defense Force sources said a group that tried to infiltrate Ethiopia from Sudan via Almhal is routed. The intention of the infiltrators was to obstruct GERD construction.