In the 1980s, during the civil war, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) excavated a cave in the sandstones of the Amba Aradam Formation, using dynamite. The cave is located near the Addi Geza'iti village, to the west of Hagere Selam, and served as offices for its leaders, including Meles Zenawi and Siye Abraha. The allied Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (EPDM) installed its HQ in a nearby cave at Melfa. Major military operations were coordinated from these caves almost until their victory against the Derg government in 1991. Both caves can be visited on appointment (contact at the Dogu'a Tembien district office, Hagere Selam, Tigray).