Fighting breaks out between forces, rebels along Ethiopia-Eritrea border

The fiercest and most widespread battles have broken out between government forces and Tigray rebels in northern Ethiopia on frontlines along the more than 1,000-kilometre Eritrea-Ethiopia border.

“The battles flaring up today is the fiercest and they cover many fronts including across the Ethiopia-Eritrea border,” a military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

He said it was the latest phase in Ethiopia’s counter-offensive as federal forces keep closing in on the Tigray regional capital of Mekelle.

But rebels from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TLFP) blamed the latest flare-up on what it described as offensives by the Eritrean military.

READ MORE: 'Air strike' rocks Mekelle city in Ethiopia's Tigray region

Eritrean full-scale offensive?

"Eritrean forces have launched a full scale offensive on all fronts today - all the way from Tekeze through to Irob," TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda wrote on Twitter.

He said heavy fighting was going on in May Kuhli, Zban Gedena, AdiAwala, Rama, Tserona and Zalambessa areas, claiming Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Eastern command, significant elements of Northwestern command and three commando divisions have also been deployed alongside Eritrean forces. 

War between federal forces and the rebels resumed August 24 after a five-month lull that followed a humanitarian truce declaration by Ahmed.

Earlier in August, the TPLF looted 570 litres of fuel from a World Food Programme (WFP) humanitarian warehouse in Mekele.

“It is impossible for WFP to distribute food, fertiliser, medicines, and other emergency supplies across Tigray," said WFP head David Beasley.

The war started in November 2020 after rebels stormed federal army bases stationed in Tigray, including in Mekele.

READ MORE: Ethiopia's government, rebels trade blame over renewed clashes in Tigray