Get you up to speed: Witnesses spot Eritrean troops inside northern Ethiopia as tensions flare
Witnesses reported seeing Eritrean soldiers driving through Adigrat, Ethiopia, on Wednesday, following the recent severing of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The soldiers were identified by their off-white camouflage uniforms as they drove in two trucks, and the confirmed immediate situation indicates their presence inside Ethiopian territory.
Eritrean troops reportedly entered Tigray, marking the first confirmed sighting since renewed hostilities began on September 23. The situation has escalated amid significant diplomatic tensions, including Eritrea’s decision to sever ties with Ethiopia following the closure of its embassy in Asmara.
Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Meskel stated that Ethiopia’s government is fabricating a “fallacious narrative of ‘self-defense’” in response to the presence of Eritrean troops. Following the severing of diplomatic ties, Eritrea, alongside Somalia, Sudan, and Egypt, called for a political and peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain whether the claims of Eritrean troops operating inside Ethiopia have been independently verified by any authorities.
Eritrean troops sighted in northern Ethiopia amid escalating tensions
News|Abiy AhmedWitnesses spot Eritrean troops inside northern Ethiopia as tensions flare
Eritrea dismisses allegation as Ethiopia’s pretext for more war.
Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026
Eritrean soldiers have been seen driving through a northern town inside Ethiopia, witnesses tell the Reuters news agency, days after the neighbouring countries severed ties.
At least two witnesses told Reuters they saw “dozens” of Eritrean soldiers drive through Adigrat in two trucks on Wednesday. The town is located 25km (15 miles) south of the border with Eritrea.
The witnesses said they could identify the soldiers as Eritrean by their off-white camouflage uniforms.
Another Adigrat resident who was not in town at the time said family members had told him they had also seen Eritrean troops, according to Reuters, which could not independently verify their accounts.
“The Eritrean army has entered Tigray in uniform, equipped with heavy weaponry,” said Gebreigziabher Beyene, commander of the Tigray Peace Force, a pro-government militia that has fought alongside the federal army.
“This force is being struck by drones,” he said, adding Eritrea was “deliberately deploying its forces so that the fighting takes place inside Tigray rather than spilling into Eritrea”.
Last week, the chief administrator in Ethiopia’s northeastern Afar region said Eritrean troops were fighting in the area, but Reuters was unable to confirm the claim.
In a statement on X, Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Meskel did not deny that troops had crossed the border, but said Ethiopia’s government was creating “a fallacious narrative of ‘self-defense’ to rationalise and camouflage its war of aggression”.
If confirmed, it would mark the first time Eritrean forces have been seen inside Ethiopia since the renewal of fighting between Ethiopian forces and a seven-group armed alliance, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), on September 23.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, as well as Egypt and Sudan of backing the armed alliance which is fighting to remove the government. All three countries have denied involvement.
Eritrea announced it was severing ties with Ethiopia on Thursday after Addis Ababa announced it would close its embassy in Asmara and expel 10 Eritrean diplomats.
In a statement, Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ethiopia’s actions had left it with “no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia”.
Members of the Ethiopian pro-government Tigray Peace Force (TPF) give a thumbs up to residents after Ethiopian federal and allied forces entered the Tigray capital of Mekelle on October 4, 2026 [AFP]
On Monday, Ethiopian forces captured Tigray’s regional capital Mekelle, days after the TPLF confirmed that it had withdrawn from the city and moved its regional administration “temporarily” to another location.
It happened as Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was sworn in for another five-year term, during which he insisted that his landlocked country must have access to the Red Sea.
On the same day, Eritrea joined Somalia, Sudan and Egypt in issuing a joint declaration calling for a political and peaceful solution to the war in Ethiopia.
The declaration appeared to push back against several policies pursued by Ethiopia in recent years, highlighting widening rifts between Addis Ababa and its neighbours.