The government said Wednesday it had imposed curfews in six major cities hit by the unrest in the northern region, including the capital Bahir Dar and the holy city of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The State of Emergency General Directorate announced the move after declaring that the armed forces had “freed” the cities from local fighters it described as bandits.
There has been no official casualty toll, but hospital doctors in two of the affected cities told AFP on Wednesday that scores of civilians caught up in the violence had been killed or injured.
“The ENDF (Ethiopian National Defence Force) has regained ground in many places and controls the major cities,” one aid worker based in the city of Dessie said on condition of anonymity.
“However, scores of districts are still in the hands of Fano fighters in the South Wollo area (of which Dessie is the administrative
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