Ethiopian TV alleges TPLF hiding weapons in churches

Ethiopia's military say they have gained "full control" of the capital of the defiant Tigray region, the army announced Saturday, after the Tigray government reported that the city of a half-a-million people was being "heavily bombarded" in the final push to arrest the region's leaders.

Meanwhile the Ethiopian state broadcasters and military is alleging the TPLF (Tigray People's Liberation Front) was hiding and storing weapons in churches in the Tigray Region.

The video from St. Michael's Church shows the Ethiopian military showing off pieces of artillery and other weapons.

"This church is a place where people pray, worship, and approach God, but how dare they hide their weapons here? This should be a place for religious books. What they (TPLF) are doing is wrong," said Hailu Berhe resident in Adi Misno to the state broadcaster.

"God bless Ethiopia and its people!" Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a written statement declaring that the taking of Mekele marked the "completion" of the military offensive that started nearly four weeks ago. "We have entered Mekele without innocent civilians being targets," he said.

Now, he said, police will pursue the arrest of the leaders of the TPLF, who run the region and dominated Ethiopia's ruling coalition before Abiy came to power in 2018 and sidelined them among the sweeping reforms that won him the Nobel Peace Prize.

Abiy's government has since accused the TPLF of inciting unrest in the country and seeking to reclaim power, and each government regards the other as illegal. Abiy had rejected dialogue with the TPLF leaders over the last month, including during a Friday meeting with three African Union special envoys.

"We now have ahead of us the critical task of rebuilding what has been destroyed...with the utmost priority of returning normalcy to the people of the Tigray region," Abiy said.

(Image Credit: AP)