The town is a UNESCO World heritage site famed for its obelisks and ancient churches and was a flashpoint of the conflict that started in early November.

The rights group said.

The massacre took place over a 24 hour period starting on November the 28th, The that's the same day that Prime Minister Abdi Ahmed declared victory over the rebellious Tea Grand People's Liberation Front.

The TPLF and many residents said Eritrean soldiers were supporting abuse forces, though the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments have previously denied this.

The amnesty said the killings were a retaliation for an attack by local militia and that soldiers executed men and boys in the streets and engaged in extensive looting.

The Ethiopian government emergency task force for Tigre said investigations were underway.

The state run Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has released a statement time to coincide with the Amnesty report, saying preliminary investigations indicated Eritrean soldiers had killed an unknown number of civilians that the HRC said was in retaliation for an earlier attack by TPLF soldiers.

The head of the government appointed interim administration in T grace of the police and judiciary were investigating.

Eritrea's foreign minister did not respond to requests for comment.