Tigrayan rebel forces claimed on Tuesday to have killed more than 1,500 Ethiopian soldiers during two days of intense fighting in northern Ethiopia, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warned neighbouring Eritrea of severe consequences over its alleged support for armed groups opposing his government.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said its fighters killed 1,511 Ethiopian federal troops and wounded another 1,050 during clashes on October 17 and 18 near Mirena in central Tigray.
Negash Hiluf, a TPLF official, said Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) had intercepted Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) units attempting to advance towards the town of Adet.
Speaking in a video briefing broadcast by the opposition-aligned Tigray Media Corporation, Hiluf also claimed that rebel fighters had killed 11 members of the Tigray Peace Force, an armed faction supporting the federal government.
The casualty figures could not be independently verified, and Ethiopian authorities had not publicly responded to the allegations.
The claims come amid renewed fighting across Tigray, where federal troops have launched a major offensive to regain control of territory held by rebel forces.
Abiy warns Eritrea
In a separate development, Abiy accused Eritrea of assisting armed groups seeking to undermine Ethiopia’s government, warning Asmara that continued support for hostile forces could trigger serious repercussions.
Speaking in an interview broadcast by the state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, Abiy urged Eritrean authorities to pursue cooperation rather than confrontation.
He warned that rejecting Ethiopia’s calls for peaceful engagement would carry extremely severe consequences.
The Ethiopian leader argued that closer economic cooperation between the two countries would offer greater benefits than renewed military conflict.
Eritrea has repeatedly rejected Ethiopian accusations that its troops have crossed the border or provided assistance to Tigrayan rebels.
Asmara has instead accused Addis Ababa of pursuing territorial ambitions linked to Eritrea’s Red Sea port of Assab, deepening fears of a broader confrontation in the Horn of Africa.
Fighting threatens fragile peace
The latest claims follow reports that Ethiopian government troops withdrew from positions around Adwa and Rama near the Eritrean border following rebel attacks.
Federal forces had previously captured Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle, and several other strategic towns during an offensive launched after major hostilities resumed on September 23.
The renewed conflict has further undermined the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which ended a devastating two-year war between Ethiopian federal forces and the TPLF.
Addis Ababa has since established a six-month caretaker administration in Tigray, tasked with restoring government services, stabilising the region and preparing for elections.
The TPLF, meanwhile, has joined the Alliance for Survival, a coalition of seven armed and political organisations formed in September to challenge Abiy’s administration.
Escalating hostilities and deteriorating relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have raised international concerns that the fighting could develop into a wider regional war.
The latest violence also threatens to worsen an already severe humanitarian crisis in Tigray, where years of conflict have displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians and disrupted access to essential services.
