Ethiopia's internal conflict goes beyond its borders, rockets hit Eritrea capital
Thousands of Ethiopians have fled to neighbouring Sudan
Rockets from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region hit the capital of neighbouring Eritrea on Saturday, signifying Ethiopia's internal conflict had spread beyond its borders.
In a major escalation of an 11-day conflict pitting Ethiopian federal troops against local forces in the northern Tigray region, at least three rockets were fired at Eritrea's capital from Ethiopia on Saturday night.
At least two of the rockets hit Asmara airport, three diplomats said.
Tigray's leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, said on Tuesday that Eritrea had sent troops across the border in support of Ethiopian government forces but provided no evidence.
EthiopianPrime Minister Abiy Ahmed, last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced November 4 he had ordered military operations in Tigray in a dramatic escalation of a long-running feud with the region's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in the conflict in Africa's second most populous country, some in a gruesome massacre documented by Amnesty International.
Thousands have fled fighting and air strikes in Tigray, crossing to neighbouring Sudan.
The TPLF accuses Abiy's government of enlisting military support from Eritrea, something Ethiopia denies.
Tigray has been under a communications blackout since the conflict began, and calls to Asmara were not going through Saturday.
The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades and in that time fought a brutal 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea that left tens of thousands dead.
Abiy came to power in 2018 and won the Nobel prize the following year in large part for his effort to initiate a rapprochement with Eritrea.
Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace deal two years ago, but Isaias Afwerki's government in Asmara remains hostile to the Tigrayan leadership after its role in a devastating 1998-2000 war.
Late on Friday rockets were fired at two airports in Ethiopia's Amhara state, which has sent troops into Tigray in support of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in what Tigray’s ruling party said was retaliation for government air strikes against their region.
(with inputs from agencies)