Tigray advances see Ethiopian troops enter Aksum amid border tensions

Ethiopian government troops and allied fighters have pushed deeper into the northern Tigray region, taking control of the historic city of Aksum amid continued clashes with regional opponents.

A spokesperson for the pro-government Tigray Peace Force militia, Solomon Hailemariam, stated that neighbouring Eritrean soldiers had pulled back toward the frontier after suffering notable casualties. However, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel dismissed those assertions as untrue, and the scale of any casualties has not been confirmed independently.

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, an independent conflict-monitoring group, confirmed that federal soldiers and allied militia members entered Aksum, while opposing Tigrayan fighters remained stationed in the surrounding highlands. The monitoring organisation additionally recorded Eritrean forces pulling back across the border at Zalambessa after Ethiopian units and their partners took several strategically important towns.

A resident in Zalambessa told reporters that opposing forces were positioned on opposite sides of the border. While active clashes have halted in the town, basic services have collapsed, leaving residents without running water or electricity for seven days amid growing fears of renewed confrontation.

Tensions along the frontier have escalated after monitoring groups noted Ethiopian heavy artillery and armoured vehicles heading toward the Eritrean border earlier in the week. The Ethiopian administration has accused Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan of providing backing to a coalition of rebel movements confronting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Officials in Asmara have strongly rejected claims that their soldiers entered Tigray to assist rebel factions, arguing instead that Ethiopia is endangering Eritrean sovereignty. The disagreement prompted Eritrea to cut formal diplomatic relations with Ethiopia earlier this month, despite the two nations having fought on the same side during the previous northern conflict from 2020 to 2022. Sudanese and Egyptian authorities have likewise rejected claims of involvement.

The latest movements follow the Ethiopian military's capture of Mekelle, the regional capital, earlier this month. The Tigray People's Liberation Front acknowledged vacating the city and said it had relocated its regional leadership elsewhere on a temporary basis. Federal forces subsequently reoccupied the towns of Adwa and Adigrat without meeting armed resistance, alongside reported advances near the border town of Rama.

International concern over the escalating standoff prompted United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio to contact Prime Minister Abiy, urging immediate de-escalation and emphasising that the broader region cannot bear further military conflict.