Ethiopian Drones Strike Eritrean Troops Inside Ethiopia's Tigray Region

Ethiopian drone strikes targeted Eritrean forces deployed inside northern Ethiopia's Tigray region on Wednesday and Thursday, according to a conflict monitor.

The strikes are believed to have been carried out by Ethiopia's military and hit Eritrean military vehicles near the Tigrayan town of Adigrat as they withdrew from positions. Witnesses reported seeing Eritrean troops transported in trucks through Adigrat, approximately 25 km inside Ethiopia, on Wednesday. This marked the first confirmation of Eritrean forces' presence in northern Ethiopia since fighting broke out between Ethiopia's military and a rebel alliance.

Eritrea's information minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, did not immediately respond to requests for comment but had previously called reports of an Eritrean incursion part of an Ethiopian plan to justify aggression. Ethiopia's foreign minister, Gedion Timothewos, called for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopian territory and reaffirmed Ethiopia's right to defend its sovereignty. The two countries severed diplomatic ties last week over Addis Ababa's allegations that Asmara was supporting rebels, an accusation Eritrea has repeatedly denied.

The Eritrean soldiers had crossed into Ethiopia on Wednesday and advanced dozens of kilometers into Tigray before withdrawing under heavy drone strikes, according to ACLED. The conflict monitor also stated that Eritrean troops and ammunition in the Adigrat area were hit by multiple drone strikes overnight between Wednesday and Thursday. Some Eritrean lorries have been destroyed, and troops are no longer in the streets, according to witnesses. A high-ranking Ethiopian federal army commander sought to play down the conflict, stating there were small pockets of the enemy forces still resisting.