Heavy fighting erupted between Eritrea and Ethiopia

Tigrai Online, Ethiopian News, June 12, 2016

Eritrean troops launched a wide spread attack on Ethiopian positions in the central zone around Egela a few kilometers from the town of Tserona.

According to news reports coming from both sides the fighting started sometime this morning. There is conflicting report about the starting time of the fighting from Eritrean websites and on the Ethiopian side. Some Eritrean websites reported the fighting started at 12:45 AM, but some Ethiopian websites reported the fighting started at about 5:00 Am.

The fighting is still going on around the town of Tserona. The Ethiopian army has successfully repulsed the Eritrean attack and is reportedly pushing towards Eritrean mainland.  TOL has credible information from residents in the area the town of Tserona might fall or already is under Ethiopian troops.

The heaviest fighting was in the villages of Akran, Adi Mesgen, Kunnikunto, and other strategic positions. The fighting was supported with heavy artilleries, tanks, and RPGs. Small scale skirmish has been reported all along the border  

The Eritrean army is reportedly moving mechanized units from a place called Mai Wurai to the heavy fighting area and Ethiopia might have mobilized some of its mechanized divisions towards the skirmish area.

Some civilians around Egella are moving back from the reach of Eritrea heavy shelling.

There are no official statements from both countries about the reported heavy fighting and why the fighting erupted this time.

We think the rogue Eritrean regime is caught between a rock and hard place especially with the UN report coming out a few days ago accusing the gangs in Asmara are commtting crimes against humanity and they should be tried in the International Criminal Court. The reason why the Eritrean regime started the war now is to divert the international community’s attention from the COI report. It is not that hard to connect the Al-Shabaab offinsive in Somalia against the Ethiopian troops with the latest semi full scale attack by Eritrea. The Eritrean regime is panking because it knows the end is getting closer by the day.

The Ethiopian government should not start a full scale war with Eritrea at this time unless it is ready to finish the job. We think the Ethiopian government should take defensive action without getting into full scale war at this time so that the UN gets a chance to do its job. If Ethiopia does not have confidence in the UN to take meaningful action against the Eritrean regime, it has to ensure the Eritrean government criminals responsible for the massacre of the Ayder school children and the Ginbot-7 terrorists are blocked from leaving the country.

If Ethiopia is going to go to war with Eritrea it has to be done right unlike the Badme war which was aborted prematurely. This time around it has to be final once and for all. The Ethiopian and Eritrean people deserve to live in peace without the constant fear of war.

TOL will bring you the latest news as it happens; send your news tips to (admin@tigraionline.com)