Tigray forces concede loss of large town to Ethiopian army

FILE PHOTO: People stand in line to receive food donations, at the Tsehaye primary school, which was turned into a temporary shelter for people displaced by conflict, in the town of Shire, Tigray region, Ethiopia, March 15, 2021. Picture taken March 15, 2021. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Forces from Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray conceded on Tuesday that they had lost control of the populous town of Shire to the Ethiopian military and their allies, urging Tigrayans to fight back.

Tigray forces have been battling Ethiopia's army and its allies, including troops from neighbouring Eritrea, on and off since late 2020, a conflict that has killed thousands, displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands on the brink of famine.