(Adnkronos) – The federal forces of Ethiopia and their allies are approaching a locality near the border with Eritrea. This is reported by a commander of a pro-government militia and a resident cited by the Afp agency, as fears for the situation in the area grow. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (Tplf), which launched an offensive against Ethiopia’s federal forces in September.
According to estimates from a foreign security source, between 5,000 and 8,000 Eritrean forces had been deployed in Ethiopian territory, in support of the Tplf, but they were reportedly forced into an apparent retreat. According to a pro-government militia representative, Eritrean soldiers who were present in the locality of Zalambessa, in Tigray, near the border, have withdrawn. “The neighboring villages are in the hands of the defense forces,” he said. “No Ethiopian troops have entered Eritrea.” According to a resident of Zalambessa, “the Ethiopian Army has arrived about five kilometers south of the locality, while the Eritrean Army is on the northern outskirts.”
Reports that Ethiopian soldiers had crossed the border are “absolutely false,” Eritrean Information Minister Yermane Gebremeskel told Afp. In early October, the Tplf withdrew from Macallè. Eritrean troops have been deployed in various areas of Tigray but have been repelled by drone attacks. In recent days, pro-government forces have established themselves in strategically crucial locations, such as Shire and Axum, near the Eritrean border.
