Tigrayan forces say they have taken town in Ethiopia's Amhara region, government denies this

Members of the Amhara Militia patrol on the streets in Dessie town, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, October 9, 2021. Picture taken October 9, 2021. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -Rebellious Tigrayan forces said on Saturday they had seized the strategic town of Dessie in Ethiopia's Amhara region where tens of thousands of ethnic Amharas have sought refuge from an escalation in fighting, but the government denied this.

The fighters pushed Ethiopian government forces from Dessie and were headed towards the town of Kombolcha, Getachew Reda, spokesperson for the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), told Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location.