Eritrea has been caught up in the latest episode of the fighting in neighbouring Ethiopia’s Tigray region after rockets landed in the outskirts of the capital Asmara on Saturday evening.
People living in Asmara say a series of explosions were heard in the approaches to the city including near its main airport as the fighting between Ethiopian federal troops and Tigray fighters intensified over the weekend.
There was no report of casualties from the rocket explosions inside Eritrea which is accused by the Tigray regional authorities of aiding Addis Ababa by providing it with men, and land access to launch attacks on fighters of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Tigrayan leader Debretsion Gebremichael claimed that Eritrean soldiers have been engaging TPLF troops in recent days of fighting.
Reports also say, medical facilities inside Eritrea have been treating Ethiopian federal troops wounded during the fighting.
However Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed in a tweet on Sunday denied any Eritrean troop involvement in the conflict and say federal forces were capable of defeating the TPLF renegades.
It is no secret that following the end to all “active and passive hostilities” between Addis Ababa and Asmara, PM Abiy has had a reliable ally in Eritrean leader Issias Afwerki.
Ethiopia and Etirea had fought a bitter two-year border conflict between 1998 and 2000.
WN/as/APA