Eritrean troops move deep into Ethiopia's Tigray region, residents tell BBC

What Happened

Eritrean soldiers crossed into northern Ethiopia from the border town of Zalambessa and moved toward central Tigray, with convoys reported passing through Adigrat and heading toward Edaga Hamus, according to multiple accounts gathered by the BBC. Residents in Adigrat described seeing about 40 trucks carrying soldiers moving south; another resident reported 20 to 30 large trucks with Eritrean registration plates heading toward Edaga Hamus on the morning of the report, with acquaintances seeing vehicles carrying heavy weapons including anti-aircraft guns and some troops moving on foot. A source in Mekelle said relatives in Adigrat described up to 60 trucks, with soldiers later deployed in mountainous terrain near Edaga Hamus. Social media images appeared to show heavily loaded military trucks carrying uniformed personnel toward Adigrat, Edaga Hamus and possibly Wukro, though the BBC has not independently verified the images. Sources in Wukro told the BBC that Ethiopian National Defence Force soldiers and allied fighters entered the town on Wednesday after an exchange of heavy weapons about 15km south of the town; the BBC has not independently verified any of the reported troop movements. Fighting broke out two weeks ago after months of tension between the federal government and the TPLF, and over the weekend TPLF forces withdrew from Mekelle, which is now under federal army control. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of backing the TPLF, which Asmara has previously denied; senior Ethiopian official Abraham Belay accused Eritrea of direct participation, saying the Eritrean army had participated 'with its full capacity and logistics' and that many Eritrean soldiers had been killed and captured.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The reported return of Eritrean forces into Tigray revives a central dynamic of the 2020-2022 war, when Eritrea fought alongside Ethiopia against the TPLF; that history and reported atrocities have sparked acute anxiety among Tigray residents. Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations last week, and the shifting alignments — with Ethiopia now accusing Eritrea of backing the TPLF despite their previous wartime alliance — raise the risk of a wider regional conflict involving an armed-group coalition that includes the TPLF.

Watch For

Monitor whether Eritrean forces engage directly with Ethiopian federal forces or TPLF-aligned fighters near Edaga Hamus, Wukro or the Mekelle corridor, and whether Addis Ababa acts on Abraham Belay's threat of doubled retaliation. Watch for any formal statement from Asmara confirming or denying Eritrean troop movements, further TPLF military actions after the Mekelle withdrawal, and diplomatic responses from the African Union, EU, or US following the Ethiopia-Eritrea diplomatic rupture.