The Ethiopian army regained control of Lalibela on Thursday following a pullout by a regional militia whose fighters had overrun much of the historic town in fierce clashes the day before, residents said.
Lalibela – a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its centuries-old rock-hewn churches – has witnessed combat between federal troops and the Fano militia on several occasions this year as fighting erupted in many parts of the Amhara region.
There has been no official casualty toll from Wednesday's fighting, and representatives of the federal and regional governments and the Ethiopian army have not responded to messages from AFP.
On Thursday, a church deacon said he had attended the funerals of 16 police officers killed in the clashes, adding that he knew of one civilian who had died and a woman who had been injured.
Regional forces
"The military control the town. Fano have already left early morning," the deacon told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Although Fano, an Amhara "self-defence" group, fought alongside federal troops in the two-year war in neighbouring Tigray, tensions boiled over after Addis Ababa announced in April that it was dismantling regional forces across Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian government imposed a state of emergency in early August after fighting broke out in Amhara, raising new concerns about the stability of Africa's second most populous country.
The latest clashes on Wednesday saw Fano seizing control of much of Lalibela and pushing the army back to a base on the outskirts of town, according to residents.
'Left at night'
But on Thursday, one inhabitant said the fighters had "left during the night" and "ENDF now control the city".
Another resident confirmed the account, saying: "Until early morning, Fano controlled most of the town. When we woke up, Fano were finishing leaving the town."
"I can see ENDF deployed in the streets," he added. Both said they had not heard or seen fresh clashes on Thursday.
The deacon said Lalibela's churches – which date back to the 12th and 13th centuries – had suffered "no direct damage" but that they had to be checked in case vibrations from artillery fire had caused cracks.
It is impossible to verify the situation on the ground independently as media access to Amhara is heavily restricted.
