Eritrea's Forces Push Deep Into Ethiopia's Tigray as Fears Grow of Wider Regional War

Eritrean soldiers have entered northern Ethiopia and are moving toward zones where clashes have erupted between Ethiopia's national army and regional Tigrayan forces, residents of the town of Adigrat have told the BBC — a dramatic escalation that has raised fresh alarm across the Horn of Africa. The reported incursion, which the BBC has not been able to independently verify, comes as the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) trade accusations over the collapse of the 2022 agreement that ended a devastating two-year civil war.

By Yemane Nagish, BBC Tigrinya, and Michael Teferi, BBC Africa. Published 7 October 2026.

Fighting in Tigray broke out roughly two weeks ago after months of rising tension between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and the party that governs the region, the TPLF. Each side blames the other for violating the 2022 deal, which was intended to halt a conflict that killed thousands and pushed Tigray to the brink of mass starvation. The dispute has been compounded by Ethiopia's accusation that Eritrea is arming and backing the Tiplaf — a claim Asmara has previously rejected.

The unrest has been further complicated by the launch in September of a new alliance of armed Ethiopian opposition groups, which counts the TPLF among its members. Analysts and earlier BBC coverage have warned that fresh fighting in Tigray could spill over into a wider conflict involving Ethiopia's neighbours, and the arrival of Eritrean troops in the region will intensify those concerns.

Over the weekend, TPLF forces pulled out of Mekelle, Tigray's main city and regional capital, which lies about 115km (71 miles) south of Adigrat. The city is now under the control of the national army. Pro-government forces' hold on Mekelle marks a significant shift in the balance on the ground, and authorities have restored mobile phone and internet access to most areas since the military takeover.

Eritrea's role in Ethiopia is fraught with history. During the 2020-2022 war, Eritrea was a crucial ally of landlocked Ethiopia, fighting alongside it against the Tigrayan rebels in a conflict that was among the bloodiest this century and which devastated the region's civilians. Relations between the two neighbours have since soured, largely because of the Ethiopian prime minister's openly stated ambition to secure ownership of one of Eritrea's Red Sea ports — a demand that touches on Eritrea's sovereignty and strategic lifeline.

Last week, the two countries severed diplomatic relations entirely, a step taken as renewed fighting raised the spectre of a broader regional confrontation involving multiple states and armed movements.

The BBC is unable to report directly from Tigray and surrounding areas, so it has relied on the accounts of residents, local sources and images circulating online. According to multiple descriptions, Eritrean troops have moved from the border town of Zalambessa toward central Tigray, with convoys reported passing through Adigrat and continuing toward Edaga Hamus, a settlement situated between Adigrat and Mekelle.

One Adigrat resident, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, told BBC Tigrinya: "I saw about 40 trucks carrying soldiers. The convoy was moving south." A second resident described first noticing the movement at night: "We have been seeing trucks with Eritrean registration plates passing through the city. Now this morning we witnessed around 20 to 30 large trucks heading toward Edaga Hamus."

That second witness added that acquaintances travelling along the same route had spotted further vehicles hauling heavy weaponry, including anti-aircraft guns, and that some soldiers appeared to be advancing on foot. A source in Mekelle said relatives in Adigrat described even larger movements, estimating that up to 60 trucks carrying soldiers were later deployed in mountainous terrain near Edaga Hamus.

Images shared on social media appear to depict heavily laden military trucks transporting uniformed personnel toward Adigrat, Edaga Hamus and possibly Wukro, another significant town along the corridor linking Adigrat with Mekelle. The BBC has not independently verified the footage. Sources in Wukro said national army soldiers and allied fighters entered the town on Wednesday following an exchange of heavy fire roughly 15km to its south.

The apparent return of Eritrean forces has stirred deep anxiety among Tigray's residents, many of whom remember the abuses allegedly committed by Eritrean troops during the recent civil war, when they fought on the side opposing the TPLF. "The memories are still fresh. I was emotional myself. People are saddened to see them back again," said one Adigrat resident, capturing the sense of dread in a region that has endured repeated displacement and hardship.

A resident of Edaga Hamus confirmed that Eritrean troops had passed through the town and reported that drone strikes had taken place nearby, with soldiers apparently targeted — a sign that the confrontation is employing increasingly sophisticated weaponry alongside conventional convoys and artillery.

The Ethiopian government, meanwhile, is publicly pointing the finger at Asmara. In an interview with the privately owned Fana Television, senior official Abraham Belay accused Eritrea of taking a direct and substantial role in the fighting. "The Eritrean army has participated with its full capacity and logistics. Many Eritrean soldiers have been killed and captured," Belay said, insisting there was "no doubt" that the retaliation would be doubled.

With diplomatic ties between Addis Ababa and Asmara now severed, foreign observers fear that a localised dispute between the federal government and the TPLF could draw in wider forces, reversing hard-won gains from the 2022 peace deal and rekindling a humanitarian emergency in a region still recovering from war.