Eritrean troops that crossed into Ethiopia’s Tigray region were hit by government drones on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, according to Acled, a conflict‑monitoring group. The attack follows a wave of violence that could push Ethiopia’s internal conflict into a wider regional war between the neighbouring states.
Military vehicles carrying Eritrean soldiers crossed the southern border into Tigray and reached the town of Adigrat, about 25 miles (40 km) south, as reported by civilian witnesses, a militia commander and Acled. The drones targeted the convoy after it entered Ethiopian territory.
Eritrea has long been hostile to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which launched an offensive against the Ethiopian government on 23 September. That hostility has been eclipsed by Eritrea’s desire to counter a perceived risk of Ethiopia invading it in order to secure access to the Red Sea.
In the past two weeks, the TPLF and six other armed groups have fought the Ethiopian government in Tigray, Amhara and Afar. Ethiopia’s military, with the help of the Tigray Peace Force militia, pushed the TPLF back and recaptured Mekelle, the regional capital, on 4 October.
Eritrea’s information minister, Yemane Ghebremeskel, said the country was not in the business of refuting wild allegations, without confirming or denying the presence of its troops in Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s foreign ministry stated the country is ready to defend its sovereignty and urged regional actors to resolve shared challenges through dialogue rather than confrontation.
The conflict has a long history: a brutal civil war from 2020 to 2022 killed an estimated 300 000 to 800 000 civilians, and both sides were accused of war crimes. Eritrea intervened in that war on Ethiopia’s side after a 2018 rapprochement that earned Ethiopia’s prime minister a 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Recent reports also highlight the TPLF’s forced recruitment of boys as young as 15, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian toll.“}
