Ethiopia 'launches military attack inside Eritrea'

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Ethiopia carries out attacks against Eritrea

 

LUC VAN KEMENADE

Published: 43 minutes ago

 

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 file photo taken in Somalia, Ethiopian soldiers patrol in the town of Baidoa in Somalia. Ethiopia's government spokesman said Thursday, March 15, 2011 that Ethiopia launched a military attack inside its archrival Eritrea on Thursday, claiming that Ethiopia launched the attack because Eritrea was training "subversive groups" that carried out attacks inside Ethiopia. (AP Photo, File)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Ethiopian forces entered archrival Eritrea on Thursday and carried out what a government spokesman described as "a successful attack" against military posts.

 

Shimeles Kemal said Ethiopia launched the attack because Eritrea was training "subversive groups" that carried out attacks inside Ethiopia.

 

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border war from 1998 to 2000. Tensions have reignited between the countries in recent months.

 

No details about the military operations or any damage or casualties were immediately released.

 

The "Eritrea government has continued launching attacks at Ethiopia through its proxy groups. The attacks had continued. And the recent attacks against European tourists is one of the reasons for the retaliation," Shimeles said.

 

Militants attacked European tourists from five nations traveling in Ethiopia's arid north in January. Five tourists were killed and two were kidnapped. The two kidnapped German tourists have since been released.

 

Ethiopia blamed gunmen from Eritrea for the attack.

 

The attacks Thursday by Ethiopian forces took place about 10 miles (16 kilometers) inside Eritrea's territory in areas called Gelakalay and Gimbina, Shimeles said. The Ethiopian forces have returned to Ethiopia, he said.

 

"Today's measures do not constitute a direct military confrontation between the two countries. The Ethiopian defense force has entered into Eritrea and launched a successful attack against military posts that have been used to organize, finance and train the subversive groups," Shimeles said.

 

Shimeles said it was unlikely that Eritrea would retaliate because it is "not in a position to launch a counter attack."

 

Eritrea's ambassador to the Addis Ababa-based African Union, Girma Asmerom, didn't immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.

 

The border war between the two countries killed about 80,000 people. Recent signs have pointed to growing tension in the region.

 

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told the country's parliament in April that his government would actively support Eritrean opposition groups to help topple that country's regime. Ethiopia also blamed Eritrea for scheming bomb attacks on several targets in Addis Ababa during an African Union summit in January 2011.

 

Eritrea doesn't receive foreign aid and is sanctioned by the U.N. because of human rights violations. U.N. reports have indicated that Eritrea has supported Somalia's top militant group, the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab. Eritrea has denied those accusations.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Ethiopia 'launches military attack inside Eritrea'

 

Ethiopian forces have launched a military assault on positions inside Eritrea, Ethiopian officials have said.

 

Ethiopia attacked because Eritrea was training "subversive groups" to carry out attacks inside Ethiopia, government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said.

 

A number of people were killed and others captured when three camps were attacked, a defence ministry official quoted by state ENA news agency said.

 

The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000.

 

Thursday's dawn assault is the first attack by Ethiopian troops inside Eritrean territory since the end of the war that killed some 80,000 people.

 

Tensions have risen in recent weeks - with Addis Ababa blaming Eritrea for backing Ethiopian rebels who staged a January raid in the northern Afar region that killed five Western tourists.

 

More on This Story

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Lets see how the red sea state defends itself against Ethiopia in the last war they stood their ground.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Ethiopia troops attack rebel bases in Eritrea

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Photo/JENNY VAUGHAN/AFP Ethiopian government spokesman Shimeles Kemal speaks in Addis Ababa on March 15, 2012, where he announced that Ethiopia had attacked an Eritrean military base .

 

By ARGAW ASHINE NATION Correspondent

Posted Thursday, March 15 2012 at 18:05

Ethiopian troops on Thursday carried out military attacks on rebel bases in Eritrea.

 

Ethiopian government spokesperson Shimeles Kemal told reporters in the capital Addis Ababa that the military carried out missile attacks on the posts in Ramid, Gelahbe and Gimbi, 16 kilometres inside south-eastern Eritrea.

 

Kemal said the targeted rebels were the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front, who were involved in the abduction and killing of tourists last month.

 

“Our national defence force has today (Thursday) attacked military posts in Eritrea in which subversive and anti-peace elements were trained,” said Kemal.

 

“Today’s (Thursday's) action does not constitute a direct military confrontation against Eritrea.

 

“The Ethiopian defence force entered Eritrea and launched a successful attack against military posts that have been used to organise, finance and train the subversive groups,” Kemal said.

 

He, however, did not give details on casualties from both sides.

 

The spokesman downplayed possible retaliation from Eritrea, saying Asmara was not in a position to launch a counter- attack.

 

 

However, Eritrea sources said the country’s authorities will meet to discuss how to respond to the attacks by Ethiopia.

 

Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front claimed responsibility for the abduction of the tourists and blamed Ethiopia for the killing of five European tourists during an exchange of fire with Ethiopian troops.

 

Ethiopia insisted Eritrea was behind the attacks on the tourists but Asmara denied the accusation.

 

The two countries fought a bloody war between 1998 and 2000, which claimed more than 80,000 people

[Taleexi]

Ethiopia is the super power of the Horn and it also has the western backing.

[nuune]

Eritrea too has the backing of all Arab nations, and the backing of the fierce enemy, Israel.

 

 

Eritrea's response would be brutal!

[OdaySomali]

nuune;804378 wrote:

Eritrea too has the backing of all Arab nations, and the backing of the fierce enemy,

Israel

.

Israel :confused: I would have thought Israel has an interest in supporting Ethiopia as a tool to pressure Egypt (when needed). That is why the Israeli foreign minister has been touring all the countries upstream from Egypt.

[Abdul]

Israel is on Ethiopian

[Abdul]

I meant to say Ethiopian side.

[OdaySomali]

Abdul;804451 wrote:

I meant to say Ethiopian side.

yh

[Che -Guevara]

Taleexi;804373 wrote:

Ethiopia is the super power of the Horn and it also has the western backing.

It's not really superpower. Its opposition are simply disunited and unorganized. If 4 million dedicated Woyanes can overthrew Derg, others could do too.

[Taleexi]

Reality dictates otherwise.

[Che -Guevara]

^It's more perception than reality and myth of invincibility.

[OdaySomali]

Che -Guevara;804454 wrote:

It's not really superpower. Its opposition are simply disunited and unorganized. If 4 million dedicated Woyanes can overthrew Derg, others could do too.

It is not a superpower at all. It relies entirely on external sources to keep it going, it has no private sector whatsoever, its exports amount to ~2bn per year.

 

I was reading about munitions factories and other military manufacturing the regime has been investing in. Very interesting.

[Taleexi]

Ok... Sheekadu ma aha WYSIWYG. The glass is half empty iga dheh not half full.