Ethiopia claims further victories on central front

Following its capture of Zala Anbesa on Wednesday night, Ethiopia announced on Friday that its forces had taken four more towns on the central front. A government statement said Ethiopian forces had captured Forte, Senafe, Tsorona and Igri Mekel, and were “chasing and destroying remnants of the Eritrean army that have been fleeing from Zala Anbesa”. AFP reported that Eritrea confirmed of the Ethiopian occupation of the first three towns. Eritrea, for its part, said on Friday that heavy fighting was continuing on the central front with the enemy suffering “heavy human and material loss”. Eritrean radio reported that since the latest fighting started on 12 May, Ethiopia had lost seven fighter planes, one helicopter, large amounts of heavy weapons and tens of thousands of medium and light weapons as well as tens of thousands of dead and wounded. It gave no figures for Eritrean losses. Ethiopia has dismissed similar Eritrean claims over the past few days as ridiculous.