Several rockets have hit near the airport in Eritrea's capital city of Asmara. The rockets, fired from Ethiopia's Tigray region, are the newest escalation during a conflict that threatens to destabilize the Horn of Africa.Multiple rockets fired from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region hit the capital of neighboring Eritrea on Saturday, five diplomats have said, because the conflict between government forces and a separatist group spilled beyond Ethiopia's borders.
At least two of the rockets hit the Asmara airport on Saturday evening, three of the diplomats said. However, the United States embassy contradicted those reports, saying there were "no indications the airport was struck."
Nevertheless, it did confirm reports of "a series of loud noises" in the vicinity and told US citizens in Eritrea to remain in their homes on Sunday.The leader of Ethiopia's Tigray region confirmed the rocket attack to Reuters. President Debretsion Gebremichael added that his forces are fighting Eritrean forces "on several fronts" for the past few days.
Eritrea accused of aiding Ethiopia
Gebremichael's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), has accused Eritrea of providing military support to the Ethiopian government and sending troops across the border, allegations that Eritrea has denied.
"We aren't a part of the conflict," Eritrean secretary of state Osman Saleh Mohammed told Reuters press agency .
Earlier on Saturday, a senior member of the TPLF had threatened retaliatory "missile attacks" on Asmara and therefore the Eritrean port city of Massawa "to foil military any movement."
The rocket strikes happened hours after the TPLF, considered a rebel group by the Ethiopian government, claimed attacks on two airports in the neighboring Amhara region of Ethiopia.
"Yesterday evening we've inflicted heavy damages on the military components of the Gondar and Bahir Dar airports," Getachew Reda, a spokesperson of the TPLF, said during a statement Saturday.
"As long because the attacks on the people of Tigray don't stop, the attacks will intensify,Both airports within the Amhara region are used for military also as civilian aircraft.
The federal acknowledged the attacks, saying the airport areas have sustained damages. A doctor said that two soldiers were killed and a minimum of 15 people were injured.
0 Comments