Dessie proved to be impossible to capture for Tigray People’s Liberation Forces after a series of crashing defeats in Boru Selassie, Kutaber, Bistima, Tehuleder, among others.
borkena
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces continue to suffer military defeats in the Wollo war front where they were eying to control a strategic city of Dessie and Kombolcha- cities in the Amhara region of Ethiopia which are said to have immense economic and military significance.
On Sunday, there was a concern by some residents of Dessie, borkena interviewed some over the phone, that the TPLF forces would enter the city.
As it turns out, the rebel ethnic Tigrean forces that are rebranded as “Tigray Defense Force” suffered devastating defeats in Kutaber, only about 20 kilometers north west of Dessie.
According to sources on social media sources, over 2000 TPLF combatants were killed and over 900 captured in the battle near Kutaber, a town they controlled briefly.
The Ethiopian Defense Force, Amhara region special forces and FANO volunteers from Amhara region joined forces to check the TPLF advance to Dessie, and were able to do so.
borkena has also confirmed that there was an air strike that targeted a locality in Kutaber where the TPLF forces were stationed soon after they entered the town.
At this writing, borkena has confirmed that Kutaber is under the control of Ethiopian forces.
Some leaders of the National Movement of Amhara (NaMA), a prominent opposition party in the region, were in Dessie where they have been carrying out a mobilization work to entice residents of the city not to abandon it and be displaced elsewhere.
Video footage released by the state media shows that residents in Dessie and Kombolcha are undertaking their normal activities on Monday.
A brief statement from the government communication office said that counter offensive by Ethiopian forces made it impossible for TPLF forces to escape in the areas of Worebabo, Tehuledere, Kutaber and Delanta.
However, the Ethiopian government has not disclosed the number of casualties on the side of Ethiopian forces.
Sources in Dessie told borekna that defense is fortified in the areas surrounding Dessie and that it is very unlikely for TPLF, which continues to use child soldiers, to enter the city.
Captured TPLF soldiers interviewed by government media said that they were recruited compulsorily and that they would be shot from the back if they tried to retreat.
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I hope the citizens there will be left alone by warmongers. I had gone thru that city on my way to Asmara on vacation in the 1960’s. Went thru various towns between Addis/Finfine and Asmara and we had to spend a night in Dessie. There were no high rise buildings like the ones I see in the photo above. In all towns and stoppers we passed thru the people in Dessie were the friendliest and docile people we encountered during our entire trip. I saw calm mood and peace in them. It did not take me too long to find them as savvy merchants. My merchant relatives have had business relationships with merchants from that area for quite some time now. Merchants always monger peace and they are not cut out for destructive wars because they know very well that they will be the ones to be first innocent victims. That is what Debre’s rowdy rag tags have been doing whenever they enter towns and villages. They go straight to stores and storage warehouse, ransack and haul away everything back to the ‘motherland’. I hope they will get impenetrable protection/defense so they can about doing their business which has been extremely valuable to the area and the country at large. Insha’Allah!!!
So much so for the bravado of the tplf. Now reality should sink in – losers
ENDF would most certainly broadcast the site of 2000 dead TPLF. That would be historical. But of course, the only images coming forth are in fact TPLF walking the POWs. There is no strategic value capturing Dessie in the first place.
Abiy better not this city fall into the hands of Debre and his rag tags. He better not!!! It is going to be a huge loss that is gonna have a far reaching ramifications on the morale of the soldiers in the ENDF. Once this city falls everything is going to unravel in favor of Debre and his machine. I am gonna repeat myself. Abiy better not lose this city! He better not!!! I’m telling you, he better not!!!! Where has Bacha been these days? Has he been busy surrendering one town and village after another to Debre? I missed those rolling eyes of him trying to scare everyone including me who lives 10 thousand miles away. How about Jula? I have not recovered yet from looking at those fierce eyes of him during the last interview. I am still scared witless!!! Hey folks! There is a new military science now. It is call ‘eye fighting’ ala Bacha and Jula!!!
Ok I will go back and be nice to Abiy, Bacha and Jula but with a caveat. There is no such thing as free lunch, right? If you don’t drive Debre and his marauders back to the joint they crawled out of, I ‘m gonna be all over you like a cheap 3-peice suit. I’m gonna be nasty!!! I am gonna call you what an Ethiopian soldier was never called. I’m gonna call you cowards!!! Hayilikethat?!!!!