According to government sources except the 4th army division whose manpower was estimated to have been more than 5500(after its one battalion had been destroyed at Qoyatsa) the other three divisions were in a weak position at Shire both in terms of man power and possession of weapons. Remaining forces of the 9th, 16th and 103rd divisions were frustrated and disorganized after the successive defeats they faced earlier. Many of the companies of these divisions were commanded by the national servicemen at the battle of Shire. To make matters worse National Servicemen of the first and second batch refused to fight and requested to be demobilized because they had been brought to the battle front for only six months. Likewise the peoples militia recruited from Wello and Gondar complained that they should be released to go back to their families because they had been told by the government that they would be returned home after three months of service in the battle front.
The Commander-in-ChiefofTRA, found the conditions of his forces hopeless and he called a meeting on 18/2/89 at 8:00 p.m. involving the commanders and political officers of the 604th core and divisions. After a brief discussion on current positions of government forces at Shire the TRA Commander-in-Chief delegated the TRA operation officer to be acting commander-in-chief and left for Mekelle together with the TRA political officer on the pretext of the need to air-lift two brigades needed for the Shire front.
Both government and the TPLF sources reported that the TPLF had deployed seven divisions, about ten zonal battalions and a considerable number of peoples militia. In addition to these, the EPDM forces and, two mechanized and Infantry brigades of the EPLF jointly operated with the TPLF against the government forces.
The battle of Shire was started on 18/2/89 with TPLF’s offensive at a time when government forces were in the worst conditions. The rebels launched offensives through three directions: Qoyatsa, Adi Kokob andAfgahgah directions. The main offensive was, however, launched from the strategically key places of Qoyatsa, Adi Kokab and Enda Giyorgis.
Government sources show that the number of heavy weapons which the rebels possessed and the way they were operated appeared to be surprising to government forces because it was unprecedented in the history of the TPLF-govemment conflicts in the past. The war in the evening of 18/2/89 went on for the first four hours in conditions which satisfied the command of the 604th core. Conditions on the side of government forces began to deteriorate between 8:00-9:00 a.m. when the whole force of the commando division retreated in a disorganized manner and made its way to the airport of Shire. The division commander and a group of men went to the command center of the 138th brigade of the 4th division. In the meantime the 9th division left its position on the pretext of being intercepted by the rebel forces and marched toward the airport behind the commando force.
On the other hand fierce fighting was going on between the 4th army division and the rebel forces through Qoyatsa, Enda Guyorgis, Gobo Antaltilay and Adi Kokob directions, the key defensive lines to the town of Shire.
Between 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. the EPLF mechanized brigade moved ten tanks and five “Zu-23” anti-aircraft guns into the open battlefield through Adi Kokob direction and launched an offensive against the 4th government division. The government forces too employed tanks and “Zu-23” anti-aircraft guns. According to government testimony the two forces fought heroically where with the joint operations of the ground and airforce government forces were able to destroy some of the tanks and the anti-aircraft guns of the EPLF forces.
As the rebels found the 4th division in a strong position they changed their direction of offensives and moved their tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft guns towards Afgah’gah, Offensive attacks were then launched against the 4th army division from behind.
In the meantime TPLF fighters openly launched offensive attacks on government forces stationed at one of the strategic hills of Shire known as Gobo Atarit (later renamed Endaba Woyane Tsen’at). After fierce fighting which reportedly cost the TPLF relatively heavy casualties the rebels managed controlling the hill. The 103rd and 9th divisions of the government, ran away to the Endabaguna direction, on the way to Gondar, being driven by a small force of the TPLF. The core command made efforts to stop desertion partly with the use of machine guns and anti-aircraft guns and partly through begging in the name of “Ethiopian revolution and flag”. But this was to no avail. Two government brigades were eventually forced to leave their position by the rebels’ continuous offensive from the four strategic places of Qoyatsa (2470 meters altitude), Afgah’gah and two key places of 2004 and 1822 meters of height respectively.
At about 4:30 p.m. government forces set fire to the institutions and property found at Shire. In the afternoon of 19/2/89 the commander of the 604th core reported to the TRA Commander-in Chief in Mekelle that the rebels had driven government forces out and controlled the remaining militarily strategic places of 2089, 1931,2024, 2017, 2107 and 1900 meters above sea level. The TRA Commander-in-Chief asked the Core Commander as to whether it was possible to conduct a rescue mission and at least save some of the top commanders at Shire. However, it was found to be impossible for by then conditions had already reached a point of no return. By 6:30 p.m. the victorious rebel forces completely controlled the town of Shire. Retreating government forces were ambushed on the way to Endabaguna and seriously damaged. … continued on page 7