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Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Several rockets have been fired from Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region, across the border in the capital Eritrea. Explosions were heard in Asmara as the rockets landed on the outskirts of the city, but there were no reports of injuries according to local media and diplomats.
The ruling Tigray party, locked in conflict with the Ethiopian federal government, has threatened to attack. Party forces previously fired rockets at other parts of Ethiopia.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said it had attacked two sites in the Amhara region on Friday and warned of further attacks.
According to a BBC report, on Sunday (11/15/2020) tensions between the TPLF and the federal government have risen over the past month. Eritrea fought a bloody war with Ethiopia two decades ago and the last peace was agreed only in 2018.
According to the United Nations, the fighting over Tigray has also affected Sudan, with at least 17,000 civilians crossing the border from Ethiopia.
On Saturday night, Eritrean citizens reported a loud explosion. According to an unidentified diplomat, reports received indicated that several rockets fell near the airport. The semi-official website Tesfa News Eritrea tweeted that two rockets fired from TPLF-controlled areas of Tigray had not reached the airport and had landed on the outskirts of the city.
The Eritrean government has also denied having played a role in the conflict. However, the BBC’s Africa regional editor Will Ross said reports of fighting along the border and of soldiers receiving treatment in Eritrean hospitals suggest the opposite is true.
The Ethiopian government’s emergency task force said rockets had been fired at the cities of Bahir Dar and Gondar, in Amhara state, on Friday night. One rocket hit Gondar airport and damaged part of it, while a second rocket simultaneously landed outside Bahir Dar airport, an official told Reuters news agency.
There were no clear reports of the initial casualties, even though the two airports were used by military and civilian aircraft. The TPLF said the rocket attack was in retaliation for a recent airstrike carried out by Abiy forces.
“As long as the attacks against the residents of Tigray are not stopped, the attacks will increase,” spokesman Getachew Reda said in a Facebook post. He also warned of new attacks.
According to the BBC regional editor report, the Ethiopian prime minister had predicted a quick military victory at Tigray, but was probably underestimating his enemy. The Tigrayan troops are experienced and know the mountainous terrain well.
There is concern that a protracted regional conflict will have dire consequences for the civilian population of Ethiopia and the wider African region.
[Gambas:Video CNBC](Roy / Roy)
