Claim comes as violence flares across northern Ethiopia, provoking diplomatic spats amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation for millions.
An armed group aligned with the Ethiopian government has said it is close to gaining full control of the conflict-stricken northern Tigray region.
The commander of the Tigray Peace Forces (TPF) declared on social media late on Thursday that Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces had been wiped out.
The claim, which could not be immediately verified by Al Jazeera, came after fighting resumed between Ethiopian federal forces – including the TPF – and an opposition alliance led by the TPLF in September.
Residents told the Reuters news agency on Friday that Ethiopian government forces were closing on the region’s capital Mekelle.
TPLF chairperson Debretsion Gebremichael acknowledged on Thursday that federal forces had occupied some parts of the region but said his forces would counter-attack “in due course”.
Pro-government forces have made quick advances into Tigray since fighting erupted last week. The return of the hostilities follows the apparent collapse of a 2022 peace deal that ended the war between the federal government and forces from the Tigray region.
