Residents report Ethiopian forces entering Adigrat after Eritrean troops’ reported withdrawal, but Reuters says control of the border city remains unconfirmed

Ethiopian government troops and allied militia entered Adigrat on Saturday, three residents told Reuters, days after Eritrean forces were reportedly pushed back from the city. Reuters said it could not confirm whether Ethiopian forces had taken control of Adigrat, which lies about 30 kilometers from the Eritrean border.

Eritrea has denied sending troops into Ethiopia, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the reported incursion. The report said explosions were heard near Adigrat on Wednesday and Thursday; conflict monitor ACLED said Ethiopian drone strikes targeted Eritrean forces, who then withdrew from positions near the city. A resident also reported hearing explosions outside town on Friday. No official information on casualties or the immediate safety of civilians in the area was available in the source report.

Tensions have risen amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia. Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties last week after Ethiopia accused Eritrea of backing an opposition alliance; Eritrea denied the allegations. The neighbors fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 and signed a peace agreement in 2018.