Ethiopia: Drone Strikes Hit Eritrean Troops in Tigray's Adigrat

• Ethiopian drone strikes targeted Eritrean troops and ammunition in Adigrat, a city in northern Tigray, overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
• Witnesses reported destroyed military vehicles and a massive explosion, with some Eritrean forces appearing to retreat northward.
• The strikes follow a recent severing of diplomatic ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea, marked by mutual accusations of supporting opposition groups and seeking territorial advantage.
• Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, leaving Ethiopia landlocked, and the two nations fought a border war from 1998 to 2000.
• Despite a period of improved relations and Eritrea's support for Ethiopia in its 2020-2022 civil war, tensions reignited over peace agreement terms and Ethiopia's claims to sea access.

The ongoing tensions between these two nations, with their intertwined histories and strategic importance in the Horn of Africa, pose a significant threat to peace and stability across the entire region.

Ethiopian drone strikes have reportedly targeted Eritrean military personnel and equipment positioned within the northern Tigrayan city of Adigrat. The aerial assaults, which occurred overnight from Wednesday into Thursday, were confirmed by conflict monitor ACLED and corroborated by multiple eyewitness accounts from the region. According to ACLED, the strikes specifically hit "Eritrean troops and ammunition" located in the Adigrat area.

Local residents described a significant impact from the drone activity. One anonymous witness reported observing "many, many drone strikes" and noted that "some Eritrean lorries have been destroyed," no longer visible on the streets. Another individual in Adigrat, also speaking anonymously, recounted hearing a "massive explosion during the night" and personally witnessing "Eritrean military vehicles that had been hit by a drone." A third witness indicated that Eritrean forces appeared to be retreating northward following the attacks. Neither the Ethiopian nor the Eritrean government has officially commented on the fighting. Despite the reports, a high-ranking Ethiopian federal army commander, who requested anonymity, sought to downplay the situation, characterizing it as "small pockets of the enemy forces still resisting and trying to create trouble."

These military actions unfold against a backdrop of rapidly deteriorating relations between the two Horn of Africa nations. Diplomatic ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea were formally severed last week, marking a significant escalation in their long-standing animosity. Ethiopia initiated the breakdown earlier this month by expelling ten Eritrean diplomats and closing its embassy in Asmara, to which Eritrea responded by declaring its intention to "sever all diplomatic ties."

Both countries have exchanged serious accusations in recent months. Ethiopia alleges that Eritrea is providing support to rebel groups operating in its northern Tigray region. Conversely, the government in Asmara accuses Ethiopia of backing its political opponents and seeking a pretext to invade Eritrean territory, with the ultimate goal of securing direct access to the Red Sea. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Meskel publicly stated 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." Multiple sources had previously informed AFP that Eritrean troops had crossed the border earlier this week and established positions around Adigrat, the very city where the recent drone strikes took place.

The current hostilities are rooted in a complex and often violent history between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Eritrea achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1993, a separation that left Ethiopia landlocked, without direct access to the coast. This historical tension erupted into a full-scale border war between 1998 and 2000. While relations saw a marked improvement after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, this period of rapprochement proved short-lived.

Eritrea notably fought alongside Ethiopia during the 2020-2022 civil war against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). However, the alliance quickly unraveled following the conclusion of that conflict. Eritrea expressed significant dissatisfaction with the terms of the peace agreement that ended the civil war and subsequently voiced anger over Ethiopia's renewed claims regarding its right to sea access. These unresolved grievances and historical disputes continue to fuel the current instability.

The recent Ethiopian drone strikes targeting Eritrean forces in Tigray raise serious concerns about the potential for a broader regional conflict. The presence of Eritrean troops deep within Ethiopian territory, coupled with direct military engagement, signals a dangerous escalation beyond the diplomatic breakdown. The lack of official communication from either government regarding these events further complicates efforts to de-escalate the situation and leaves the international community apprehensive about the trajectory of this renewed confrontation. The ongoing tensions between these two nations, with their intertwined histories and strategic importance in the Horn of Africa, pose a significant threat to peace and stability across the entire region.

Source: Reporting based on AFP and conflict monitor ACLED.