US calls on Tigray rebel group to 'halt its advances' in key northern cities
A statement from the State Department also urged the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) to "halt its advances in and around the cities of Dessie and Kombolcha." Tigrayan rebels said Saturday they have secured "full control" of the strategic northern Ethiopian city of Dessie, sparking a furious denial by the government even as residents reported a retreat by federal forces from the area. The rebels' capture of Dessie marks a new step in their offensive in the nearly year-long war, after they retook most of Tigray from federal forces in June and expanded their presence into neighboring regions. "We urge the TPLF not to use artillery against cities and recall our strong objections to the ENDF airstrikes in Mekelle and other areas of Tigray which have cost countless lives," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in the statement, referring to the Ethiopian National Defense Force. "There is no military solution to this conflict,