At least three rockets were fired from northern Ethiopia and landed in the capital of Eritrea. That’s what local diplomats say. International news agencies have not been able to verify the reports. The area is closed off from the internet and telephony.
Residents of Asmara say they have heard explosions. Two projectiles are said to have hit Asmara International Airport.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruler in Ethiopia’s northern region, has previously threatened missile attacks on Eritrea. The TPLF accuses the neighboring country of carrying out attacks on them at the request of the Ethiopian government.
Autonomy
The rebel army is striving for autonomy in the northern Tigray region, which borders Eritrea. In recent times, the conflict between Ethiopia’s government army and TPLF fighters has escalated.
Fighting broke out early this month. The Ethiopian government army carried out multiple air strikes on behalf of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Last week, an air base in the town of Humera was captured from the rebels.
On Friday, the Ethiopian government accused the TPLF of firing missiles at two airfields in the Amhara region, which borders Tigray and is loyal to Abiy’s government.
Hundreds of dead
Many people were killed in the battle between the Ethiopian army and the rebels. Human rights organization Amnesty International reported on Monday that possibly hundreds of civilians had been stabbed to death in the town of Mai-Kadra.
According to Amnesty, these were day laborers who were not involved in the battle, and who are said to be from Amhara. Prime Minister Abiy sends a human rights commission to Tigray.
Many people have also fled. Neighboring Sudan says it expects 200,000 Ethiopian refugees to cross the border in the coming days.