Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of Tigray Invasion, Launches Drone Strikes on Troops

Ethiopia accused Eritrea of an all-out invasion of its northern Tigray region and warned it would defend itself.

Ethiopia's foreign minister sent a letter to the UN Security Council, describing the incursion as a blatant act of aggression that engages Ethiopia's inherent right to self-defence. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel responded by stating Eritrea faces an unprovoked war of aggression from its neighbor. Ethiopian drone strikes reportedly targeted Eritrean forces in the Tigrayan town of Adigrat on Wednesday and Thursday.

A foreign security source estimated between 5,000 and 8,000 Eritrean soldiers are present in Tigray. Fighting broke out two weeks ago between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), with both sides blaming each other for violating a 2022 peace deal. Ethiopia claims Eritrea is backing the TPLF, which Eritrea denies. Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos stated Eritrean forces had advanced up to 60 kilometers into Tigray.

Witnesses reported Eritrean lorries destroyed by drone strikes, and some Eritrean forces appeared to be retreating north after the attacks. Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated since the two-year civil war, where Eritrea was an ally of the Ethiopian government against the TPLF. Diplomatic ties were severed last week, largely over the Ethiopian prime minister's ambition to take ownership of one of Eritrea's Red Sea ports, specifically Assab.

Eritrea's Minister of Information accused Addis Ababa of using the current conflict to seize the port. The TPLF, which formed an alliance with six other armed groups, launched an offensive against the Ethiopian army on September 23, seizing airports in Mekelle, Axum, and Shire. Ethiopian federal forces have since retaken Mekelle, the regional capital, and police are asking residents to help establish a new administration.

The Ethiopian government promised to restore banking, electricity, telecommunications, and water services to Tigray. There have been no verified reports of casualties from the drone strikes. The conflict threatens to escalate into a wider regional war, with both nations trading accusations of aggression.