European researchers have compiled a list of 1,900 Ethiopians killed in the Tigray region by soldiers, paramilitaries and insurgents.

The identification of the dead has been researched by a team at the University of Ghent in Belgium.

The group has been in touch with the families and friends of those killed, and crosschecked official documents and government and NGO reports.

GHENT, Belgium: European researchers have compiled a list of 1,900 Ethiopians killed in the Tigray region by soldiers, paramilitaries and insurgents in Tigray, having been identified by researchers studying the conflict which began in November 2020.

The identification of the dead has been researched by a team at the University of Ghent in Belgium. The group has been in touch with families and friends. At the same time, they crosschecked official documents, and government and NGO reports, as well as media reporting.

In marked contrast to the findings, Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed has said reports of mass deaths have been exaggerated.

Abiy ordered a military offensive in November, 2020 in Tigray to expel the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), then in power in the province. The offensive began with an attack on a federal army base.

While Ethiopian leaders called the offensive a success, mass killings of civilians often occurred.