Press Release
TPLF Army Suffers Huge Losses;
Two MiG-23 Fighter Planes Shot Down

Heavy fighting continued for the fourth successive day yesterday on the central flank of the Mereb-Setit front. By yesterday, the TPLF regime had thrown five divisions--in turns--to the battlefront. All of them were badly mauled.

Two MiG-23 fighter planes were shot down yesterday morning around 9:00 a.m. One MI-35 helicopter gunship was shot down on Friday, June 11, 1999. Five tanks were also destroyed on Friday and Saturday.

Ethiopia's human losses were the heaviest yesterday although the exact figures were not yet available at press time.

Ethiopian cumulative losses for Thursday, Friday and Saturday amounted to over 12,210 soldiers killed and wounded. Over 80 Ethiopian soldiers were taken prisoner on Thursday alone.

The Burie and Alitena-Mereb fronts were relatively quiet apart from diversionary shelling and small scale Ethiopian attacks that were quickly crushed. But fighting on the central flank of the Mereb-Setit front resumed early this morning.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 14 June 1999