Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed at frontline with army in Afar region

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is on the frontline with the army fighting rebellious Tigrayan forces in the northeastern Afar region, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported on Friday.

Abiy was wearing military fatigues and speaking to the television station in the Afaan Oromo and Amharic languages, according to the broadcast. Reuters could not independently verify exactly where it was filmed.

"What you see over there is a mountain that was captured by the enemy until yesterday. Now we have able to fully captured it," Abiy said, wearing a hat and sunglasses.

"The morale of the army is very exciting," he said, promising to capture the town of Chifra, on the border between Tigray and Afar, "today".

"We won't flinch backwards till we bury the enemy and ensure Ethiopia's freedom. What we need to see Ethiopia that stands by itself, and we will die for it," Abiy said.