 The Ethiopian army has pulled out of the Tigray Regional Capital of McKellay because it was no longer a center of gravity for conflict, as the government official added that troops could return within weeks if needed. It was the first public statement by a federal government official since McKellay was taken by Tigray People's Liberation Front, TPLF, forces this week in a major turn of events after eight months of conflict. Two days earlier, people in McKellay said incoming Tigray fighters had been recruited with shears. These were similar scenes in the northern towns of Sierra on Wednesday, where Eritrean troops had pulled out and Tigray forces had entered.