Ethiopia says military offensive has 'liberated' west of Tigray

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday that a military offensive had "liberated" the western part of Tigray region where federal troops have been fighting local forces for a week.

With the region cut off to the outside world, there was no independent verification possible nor immediate response from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) which rules the northern state of more than 5 million people.