TIGRAY — Ethiopian government forces conducted drone strikes against Eritrean troops after they crossed into Ethiopia's Tigray region, according to reports. The military action led to a diplomatic break, with Eritrea cutting ties following Ethiopia’s closure of its embassy in Asmara and expulsion of 10 Eritrean diplomats.

Eritrean forces entered Tigray at Zelambesa on Wednesday and were targeted by Ethiopian drones at Guada as they moved toward Idaga Hamus, ACLED reported. Adigrat lies about 25 miles (40km) south of the Eritrean border. Overnight, multiple drone attacks struck Eritrean troop positions and ammunition stockpiles near Adigrat.

Gebreigziabher Beyene, commander of the Tigray Peace Force, stated that Eritrean soldiers arrived in Adigrat wearing uniforms and carrying heavy weapons. Ermiyas Ababu, another Tigray Peace Force commander, reported that Eritrean personnel entered Adigrat on Tuesday and Idaga Hamus on Wednesday. He added that Eritrean military officers carried out surveillance operations in Idaga Hamus.

Abraham Belay, a senior Ethiopian government official, said the Eritrean army participated with its full capacity and logistics. "Many Eritrean soldiers have been killed and captured," Belay said. He warned that "there is no doubt that the retaliation will be double."

Yemane Ghebremeskel, Eritrea’s Information Minister, dismissed Ethiopia’s claims. "We are not in the business of refuting wild allegations or narratives," Ghebremeskel said in a statement. He accused Ethiopia of fabricating a "fallacious narrative of ‘self-defense’ to rationalise and camouflage its war of aggression". Ghebremeskel also alleged that Ethiopia was "incessantly beating the drums of war and openly stating … that it will launch a war of aggression against Eritrea to acquire what it calls ‘sovereign access to the sea’".

"Ethiopia stands ready to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and core national interests, while urging all regional actors to address shared challenges through constructive dialogue, partnership, and adherence to the principles of good neighbourliness rather than confrontation and zero-sum approaches," the ministry said. It emphasized that discussions on maritime affairs and regional security must recognize Ethiopia’s legitimate interests and historical connection to the Red Sea. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has previously stated that Ethiopia needs access to the Red Sea.

Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that Ethiopia’s actions left it no choice but to sever all diplomatic relations. This decision came after Ethiopia shut down its embassy in Asmara and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats.

The Tigray Peace Force assumed control of Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital, after the TPLF withdrew from the city on 4 October. Government-aligned fighters entered Mekelle on Sunday. A curfew was imposed in Mekelle from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Wednesday.

Residents confirmed the withdrawal of TPLF forces from Shire. Mesu’ud Ahmed, a resident of Shire, said TPLF fighters had left the town, though government forces had not yet arrived.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) initiated an offensive against the Ethiopian government on 23 September. The TPLF, along with six other armed groups, is currently engaged in combat across Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions. There are reports that the TPLF has forcibly recruited boys as young as 15 to participate in the fighting.

A prior civil conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea lasted from 2020 to 2022, during which Eritrea supported Ethiopian government forces. Civilian deaths in that war ranged between 300,000 and 800,000, according to British government estimates. Ethiopia has alleged that Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan are supporting the current armed coalition opposing the government, though all three nations deny involvement. Earlier, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and Egypt issued a joint statement advocating for a political and peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ethiopia.

Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia in 1993. The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000. In 2018, a peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea led to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed receiving the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. The TPLF governed Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018.

Why It Matters

"The big worry is that [Abiy] might try to solve all his problems at the same time, by invading Eritrea, possibly a regime change move and also a land grab for the Red Sea port, and also solving his problem with Tigray at the same time," Taylor said. "The civilians in these three regions [Tigray, Amhara and Afar] didn’t get healed from the first round of violence that was halted by the peace agreement [in 2022]," Birru said.