Ethiopian drones hit Eritrean troops in Tigray, raising regional war fears
Ethiopian drones hit Eritrean troops who had crossed into the Tigray region, a conflict monitor and witnesses said Thursday. Witnesses saw burned trucks and troops pulling back north from the city of Adigrat. The clash raises fears of a war between the two neighbors, which cut ties last week amid fighting inside Ethiopia.
Ethiopia and Eritrea moved closer to war this week. Eritrean troops crossed the border into Ethiopia's Tigray region on Wednesday. Ethiopian drones then hit them overnight into Thursday, the conflict monitor ACLED said.
ACLED said "Eritrean troops and ammunition" around the northern city of Adigrat were hit by "multiple drone strikes." "There were many, many drone strikes yesterday. Some Eritrean lorries have been destroyed," one witness told AFP, as reported by RFI. A third witness said the Eritrean troops appeared to be retreating north.
The troops crossed at the border town of Zalambessa and headed south toward Adigrat, an ACLED analyst told The National. Residents of Adigrat told Reuters, The National reported, that they saw military vehicles carrying dozens of Eritrean soldiers pass through the town on Wednesday morning.
Ethiopia demanded that the troops leave. Eritrea's information minister, Yemane Ghebremeskel, did not confirm or deny that Eritrean troops were in Ethiopia. "We are not in the business of refuting wild allegations or narratives," he said, according to The Guardian. He has accused Ethiopia of planning a war to reach the Red Sea.
The strikes follow two weeks of new fighting inside Ethiopia. The Tigray People's Liberation Front and six other armed groups attacked government forces in late September. On October 4, forces allied with the government took the Tigray capital, Mekelle, after the rebels pulled out. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing the rebels.
Ties between the neighbors have been sliding for months. Last week, Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara. Eritrea then cut ties. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said Ethiopia needs access to the sea, which it lost when Eritrea became independent in 1993.
The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000. They later fought on the same side in Ethiopia's 2020 to 2022 war in Tigray, in which 300,000 to 800,000 civilians died, according to British estimates cited by The Guardian.
The United States has urged both countries to show "maximum restraint," The National reported.
What we know: Ethiopian drones struck Eritrean forces near Adigrat after they crossed the border.
What we don't: How many people were killed and whether Eritrea has fully withdrawn.
Where outlets agree The Guardian, RFI and The National all report that Ethiopian drones targeted Eritrean troops who had crossed into Tigray near Adigrat.
Where they differ The Guardian says Adigrat is 25 miles (40km) south of the border, while The National says the town is about 25km from the border.