Ethiopia Says Govt Forces Seize Three Towns In Tigray

Ethiopia said on Tuesday its forces had seized three towns in war-stricken Tigray in an advance that coincides with UN warnings of a spiralling conflict and an "utterly staggering" toll on civilians.

International calls for a halt to the escalating violence in Tigray have been mounting since a failed attempt by the African Union earlier this month to bring the warring sides to the negotiating table and find a peaceful solution to the near two-year conflict.

"The ENDF (Ethiopian National Defence Force) has taken control of the towns of Shire, Alamata and Korem without fighting in urban areas," the government said in a statement, adding that it would work with humanitarian agencies to provide aid to the areas now under army control.