Ethiopian federal forces and allied Tigray Peace Force fighters have expanded their advance across Tigray, entering Aksum as a militia claims Eritrean troops suffered heavy losses and retreated—a charge Eritrea rejects.
The conflict-monitoring group ACLED documented government-aligned forces entering the historic city, while rival Tigrayan fighters remained in nearby mountainous areas. ACLED also reported Eritrean troops withdrawing through the border town of Zalambessa as Ethiopian forces and allies advanced into several strategic towns. Solomon Hailemariam, a spokesperson for the Tigray Peace Force, said Eritrean forces had sustained significant casualties, but the claim has not been independently verified.
Eritrea’s information minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, dismissed the allegations as false. A resident of Zalambessa told AFP that fighting had stopped there, though the town had been without electricity and water for a week. Government forces captured Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle, earlier this month after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front withdrew.
Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of supporting armed groups fighting the government; Eritrea denies sending troops into Tigray, and the rival accusations are fueling concern that the conflict could spread across the border.