Witnesses spot Eritrean troops inside northern Ethiopia as tensions flare

What Happened

Witnesses told Reuters that 'dozens' of Eritrean soldiers drove through Adigrat, a town 25km south of the Eritrean border, in two trucks on Wednesday, identifiable by their off-white camouflage uniforms. Reuters stated it could not independently verify the accounts. Gebreigziabher Beyene, commander of the pro-government Tigray Peace Force, said the Eritrean army had entered Tigray in uniform 'equipped with heavy weaponry' and was 'being struck by drones'; he added Eritrea was deliberately deploying forces to keep fighting inside Tigray. Last week, the chief administrator of Ethiopia's northeastern Afar region said Eritrean troops were fighting there, but Reuters was unable to confirm that claim. Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Meskel did not deny troops had crossed the border but said Ethiopia was creating a 'fallacious narrative of self-defense' to rationalise and camouflage its war of aggression. If confirmed, it would be the first time Eritrean forces have been seen inside Ethiopia since fighting renewed on September 23 between Ethiopian forces and a seven-group armed alliance including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of backing the alliance seeking to remove the government; all three have denied involvement. Eritrea severed diplomatic ties with Ethiopia on Thursday after Addis Ababa said it would close its embassy in Asmara and expel 10 Eritrean diplomats. On Monday, Ethiopian forces captured Tigray's regional capital Mekelle, days after the TPLF said it had withdrawn from the city. The same day, Eritrea joined Somalia, Sudan and Egypt in a joint declaration calling for a political and peaceful solution to the war in Ethiopia.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

If Eritrean troops are confirmed inside Ethiopian territory, it signals a dangerous escalation of the Ethiopia–Eritrea rift from diplomatic rupture to direct military movement, potentially drawing the Afar and Tigray border areas into a new front. Eritrea's alignment with Egypt, Somalia and Sudan in a joint declaration against Abiy Ahmed's Red Sea ambitions underscores a regional coalition opposed to Addis Ababa. The reported drone strikes on Eritrean forces inside Tigray, if true, indicate direct clashes between Eritrean and Ethiopian-aligned forces, complicating the already fragmented post-Pretoria security landscape and risking reignition of the Tigray conflict.

Watch For

Monitor whether independent observers or satellite imagery confirm Eritrean troop movements around Adigrat and the Afar border, and whether Eritrea's government issues a formal denial or acknowledgment. Watch for further Ethiopian or Eritrean military operations along the Tigray–Eritrea frontier, particularly drone strikes and troop concentrations. Track responses from the African Union, UN, and Western governments to the diplomatic rupture and the allegations of foreign troop presence. Also watch for any joint statement or military coordination by the seven-group armed alliance, including the TPLF, as Ethiopian forces consolidate control in Mekelle.