Thousands of Ethiopians reportedly killed in clashes
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) on Sunday said it had killed 3,073 "enemy forces", with 4,473 injured
Thousands have been reported killed in clashes in northern Ethiopia, as fighting between the military and Tigray rebels continues. The conflict has been raging for 10 months with no sign of ending.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) on Sunday said it had killed 3,073 "enemy forces", with 4,473 injured, reports the BBC.
It comes after the military claimed it had killed more than 5,600 rebels, without specifying a timeframe. Senior general Bacha Debele said a further 2,300 rebels were wounded and 2,000 captured. Correspondents say the numbers may refer to recent battles.
The TPLF said its figures were from the Afar and Amhara fronts, adding that it had seized military tanks and weapons.
Berhane Gebrekristos, Ethiopia's former ambassador to the US, and now a supporter of the TPLF, described the government's claims as "false and laughable".
"The last five or six days, there were major military offensives by the TPLF in the two regions. In Afar and in the Amhara region, they (the Ethiopian military) lost eight divisions," he said.
He accused the military of trying to come up with "fake information" to give a morale boost to its troops.
Lt Gen Debele had earlier accused the TPLF of trying to break up Ethiopia. He said one TPLF division had tried to gain control of Humera on the border between Tigray and Amhara, but had been "completely decimated".