U.S. Secretary of State alarmed by news of Ethiopia's TPLF takeover of two towns

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks on modernizing American diplomacy during a speech from the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., October 27, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool

NAIROBI (Reuters) - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday he was alarmed by reports that rebellious Tigrayan forces had taken over two key Ethiopian towns of Dessie and Kombolcha.

"Continued fighting prolongs the dire humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia. All parties must stop military operations and begin ceasefire negotiations without preconditions," he said.