Star Metro - Ethiopia drones hit Eritrean troops in Tigray

Relations between the two neighbouring countries, who fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, have again deteriorated in recent months.

Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing rebels in its northern Tigray state, and the two countries severed diplomatic ties last week.

The government in Asmara in turn accuses Ethiopia of supporting its own opponents, and of looking for a pretext to invade its territory and seize direct access to the Red Sea.

Eritrean information minister, Yemane Meskel, said on X that Ethiopia was "openly working to bring about regime change in Eritrea by providing shelter and support to certain mercenaries who claim to be opposition".

Asmara's troops crossed the border this week and were positioned around the Ethiopian city of Adigrat in northern Tigray, multiple sources have told AFP.

Conflict monitor ACLED said "Eritrean troops and ammunition" in the Adigrat area were hit by "multiple drone strikes" overnight between Wednesday and Thursday.

"There were many, many drone strikes yesterday. Some Eritrean lorries have been destroyed. They are no longer in the streets," one witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

Another witness in Adigrat, who also asked for anonymity, said they had heard a "massive explosion during the night".

"I also saw Eritrean military vehicles that had been hit by a drone," they added.

A third witness said Eritrean troops appeared to be retreating north.

- Strained relations -

Neither Ethiopia nor Eritrea has responded to questions about the fighting.

A high-ranking Ethiopian federal army commander sought to play down the conflict in comments to AFP.

The individual, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were "small pockets of the enemy forces still resisting and trying to create trouble".

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, cutting off the latter from the coast.

After years of war and tension, their relations improved markedly with the rise to power of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2018.

Eritrea even fought alongside Ethiopia during the latter's 2020-2022 civil war against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

But the relationship deteriorated soon after, with Eritrea voicing anger over the terms of the peace agreement that ended that war and, later on, Ethiopia's claims that it has a right to sea access.

Earlier this month, Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and shut its embassy in Asmara, while Eritrea responded that it would "sever all diplomatic ties".

V.Watson--SMC