The deliberate destruction of the airport, one of the main accesses to a site of historical interest to the world, clearly shows the group’s criminal hatred, Sisay Damte, Coordinator of the Gaint-Gashena Front Command Post in Amhara, stated.

They despise Ethiopia and its people, Damte told local media, adding that the TPLF’s vandalism is aimed at holding back the nation’s progress in tourism and other economic activities.

Damte said the group’s criminality is not surprising, though it is outraged, because they have already destroyed other private and public properties, included the airport in the holy city of Axum, as well as health and education institutions in several towns in northern Ethiopia.

Lalibela is known for its 11 monolithic churches carved out of rock that date from the 11th and 13th centuries, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, and also because it is one of Ethiopia’s holiest cities, second only to Axum.

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