Eritrean Troops Deploy in Ethiopia's Tigray Region
Eritrean forces have entered the Ethiopian town of Adigrat with heavy weaponry amid a conflict between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan rebels.
Eritrean troops deployed in the northern Ethiopian town of Adigrat on Wednesday, moving south from the Zelambesa border crossing. The soldiers, wearing off-white camouflage uniforms and equipped with heavy weaponry, entered the Tigray region during an ongoing conflict between the Ethiopian federal government and a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
Yemane Gebremeskel, the Information Minister of Eritrea, denied the presence of these forces, claiming that Ethiopia has fabricated allegations of Eritrean interference as a pretext for aggression. Conversely, Gebreigziabher Beyene, commander of the pro-government Tigray Peace Force, confirmed the deployment and stated that the Eritrean forces are currently being targeted by Ethiopian drones.
The military movement follows the severance of diplomatic ties between the two nations last week. While Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing the TPLF rebels, the deployment may be an effort by Eritrea to establish a buffer zone to prevent the conflict from spilling across its own border should the rebels retreat.
