TIGRAYAN forces said Tuesday they had destroyed an Ethiopian army division in battles to control the northern region where a three-week-old war has killed hundreds and spread global alarm.

The federal government denied that and said many Tigrayan soldiers were surrendering in line with a 72-hour ultimatum before a threatened attack on the regional capital Mekelle.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s troops launched an offensive against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) local government Nov. 4 and say they are closing in on Mekelle in a final push to win the conflict.

But the battle-hardened TPLF say their troops are keeping the federal army at bay and scoring some big victories.

Hundreds have died, tens of thousands of refugees have fled to Sudan and there is widespread destruction and uprooting of people from homes, security and aid sources say.

The conflict has spread to Eritrea, where the TPLF has fired rockets, and also affected Somalia where Ethiopia has disarmed several hundred Tigrayans in a peacekeeping force.

The United States became the latest nation to call for peace, saying it supported African Union (AU) mediation efforts “to end this tragic conflict now.”(SD-Agencies)