The disputed border town of Zala Anbesa, at the centre of the latest heavy fighting between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, was “completely destroyed” before the Eritreans withdrew their forces on Wednesday night. An IRIN reporter who visited the town on Wednesday said that not a single building was left intact. While shells were landing in and around the town, the bombardment did not appear to be the cause of the damage: the town looked as if it had been systematically bulldozed, the reporter stated. Apart from Eritrean troops, the town was deserted. Hundreds of families were living in tents at a camp for the displaced set up in the nearby town of Senafe.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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