DESCRIPTION:
This victory by the EPLF over the Nadew Command is considered by the historian Basil Davidson to be the most significant victory for any liberation movement since the Vietnamese victory at Dien Bien Phu.

The Nadew Command was an Ethiopian Derg Army Corps composed of three combat divisions and accompanying support units. By mid-March 1988 the Nadew Command was preparing to launch an offensive campaign against EPLF, however, they were pre-empted by the EPLF. On the morning of March 17, the EPLF deployed troops on three fronts around Hedai Valley to encircle the Ethiopian garrison. Upon their attack, the Ethiopian forces began to withdraw but were cut off. The battle continued while the Ethiopian garrison from Keren tried to reinforce their position. This attempt to reinforce was thwarted by the EPLF. By the end of the three day battle the Eritreans had killed or captured over 18,000 Ethiopian soldiers. Once the Ethiopian troops were routed in Hedai Valley, Afabet was stormed and the population liberated. As the town was a major garrison the EPLF also captured a large cache of weapons in addition to those captured in the valley. This victory of the EPLF over the Nadew Command is considered by the historian Basil Davidson to be the most significant victory for any liberation movement since the Vietnamese victory at Dien Bien Phu. Another important consequence was the capture of three Soviet military advisers (a fourth was killed in combat action).
FOR INFO ~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Afabet