Ethiopia and Eritrea edge closer to direct conflict as troops enter Tigray

Eritrean troops have entered Ethiopia's Tigray region, with the conflict monitor ACLED reporting that they are heading south towards the road connecting Adigrat and Idaga Hamus. Ethiopian forces have responded with drones targeting the incoming Eritrean troops. Both nations have accused each other of aggression, with Eritrea's Information Minister accusing Ethiopia of a "war of aggression" and Ethiopia demanding the withdrawal of foreign military forces from its territory.

Tigrayan forces have a strong presence in the area, and Eritrea is suspected of backing the Alliance for Survival, a coalition of armed groups opposing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The move comes days after federal forces retook Mekelle, the Tigrayan capital, from the TPLF. Tigray Defence Forces are reportedly in the rural Ahferom district of central Tigray.

The US has warned against further military conflict in the Horn of Africa, urging both nations to exercise restraint. Egypt, which has its own dispute with Ethiopia over the Nile and Red Sea, has also expressed concern over the situation.