At least thirty civilians, including one pregnant woman, were killed when the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) took control of four villages located in Farta woreda of South Gondar Zone of Amhara region, according to the Woreda Administrator.

Wuletaw Gerawork, the Farta Woreda Administrator, told the VOA Amharic service that “five members of the same family were killed in one kebele, four civilians sustained heavy injuries, a pregnant woman and two other persons were killed in another Kebele and eleven civilians were were massacred in two other villages of the woreda”.

He said several houses were ransacked and burned to the ground and herds of livestock deliberately targetted few days before TPLF soldiers were dislodged from the area. Health facilities and other public institutions have been looted and destroyed, the administrator added.

According to the administrator, crews are still assessing the damage in various villages and the real death toll is likely higher.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has dismissed allegations, saying that their soldiers are disciplined and do target civilians.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said this week it has deployed a mission to investigate reports of attacks on civilians in Amhara.