Ethiopia has reportedly launched multiple drone strikes against Eritrean troops deployed in the northern Tigray region, raising fears that the renewed conflict could escalate into a wider war between the two neighbouring countries.
Witnesses and the conflict-monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) said Eritrean forces had crossed into Tigray and were seen in and around Adigrat, about 115 kilometres north of the regional capital, Mekelle.
ACLED reported that Ethiopian National Defence Force drones targeted Eritrean troops and ammunition in the area as the forces moved south towards Idaga Hamus.
A resident also told AFP that there had been “many, many” drone attacks in Adigrat.
The reported deployment of Eritrean troops marks a significant escalation in the fighting that erupted in Tigray on September 23 between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting the armed opposition alliance, a charge Asmara has rejected.
The two countries severed diplomatic ties last week after Ethiopia ordered Eritrean diplomats to leave, with Eritrea subsequently announcing that it was cutting diplomatic relations with Addis Ababa.
The latest developments have revived memories of the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray war, during which Eritrean forces fought alongside Ethiopian government troops against the TPLF.
The conflict resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis and was formally brought to an end by a peace agreement in 2022.
The renewed fighting has taken a different shape, however, with the TPLF now part of a broader alliance of opposition groups challenging Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Ethiopian federal and allied forces recently regained control of Mekelle after Tigrayan forces withdrew from the city.
The presence of Eritrean troops inside Ethiopia, if sustained, could transform the conflict from an internal Ethiopian confrontation into a direct regional confrontation.
Analysts have warned that the escalation could have repercussions across the wider Horn of Africa, already affected by conflicts and political tensions.
Eritrea has not acknowledged sending troops into Tigray and has accused Ethiopia of creating a justification for military action.
The reports of Eritrean deployments and the subsequent drone strikes could not all be independently verified by international news organisations, underscoring the difficulty of obtaining reliable information amid communication disruptions in the conflict zone.
The African Union and other international actors have called for restraint and dialogue as fighting continues, amid growing concerns over civilian safety, displacement and the possibility of the conflict spreading beyond Ethiopia’s borders.
(Sweden Herald)
