Ethiopia's government says it has captured or killed most commanders belonging to the Tigre regions.

Rebellious forces It's a claim that TI Grace, fugitive local leader, is seeking to counter.

Hay says civilians are protesting against looting by occupying soldiers from Eritrea troops allied to the federal forces.

Neither side gave proof of their assertions.

Fighting between Prime Minister Abby our Meds, federal army and forces loyal to the region's former ruling party, the Tigre People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, first erupted on November 4th.

The mountainous region of Tigre, which borders Eritrea and Sudan, is very difficult to report on.

Communications have been largely down there and access for media is restricted, making claims from all sides impossible to verify.

But it is believed that thousands of people have died while more than 45,000 refugees have crossed into neighboring Sudan.

Reports on state TV counterclaims of unrest showing images of people shopping and sitting on stools in the two grand capital of My Calais, which fell to federal troops at the weekend.

TPLF leaders had enjoyed strong popular support for years in Tigre, but they now appear to have fled to surrounding mountains on begun, a guerrilla style resistance.

Ethiopia says the TPLF wants to internationalize the conflict as a way to force the government into mediation.

Meanwhile, relief agencies are extremely worried about a lack of food, fuel, medicines and even body bags.

In Tigre, the U.

N has sounded the alarm about fighting and deaths around camps for Eritrean refugees, according to a Reuters source.