By Staff Reporter
November 15, 2020 (Ezega.com) -- Leader of the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) Debresion Gebremichael said his forces fired rockets at Eritrean capital and inflicted damages on Asmara Airport.
“As long as Eritrean troops are fighting us, we will take any legitimate military target and we will fire,” Debretsion told local media. “We have the long-range missiles as well,” he added.
There was no report of casualties from the rocket explosions inside Eritrea which is accused by the Tigray regional authorities of aiding Addis Ababa by providing it with men, and land access to launch attacks on the TPLF.
Debretsion, who is also President of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, said TPLF troops are fighting against “16 regiments” of the Eritrean army in addition to Ethiopian soldiers in several battle fields.
Last week he said Eritrean forces crossed into Ethiopia at Badme, Rama and Zalambessa, three border towns in the restive northern region.
Debretsion accused the national defence forces of putting the nation’s sovereignty at risk by allowing Eritrea to intervene in internal conflict.
"Our defence force is attacking us with foreign troops. It is Treason!" said Debretsion, denying reports that Tigray soldiers crossed to Eritrea.
Earlier this week, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed denied involvement in the conflict: "We are not part of the conflict."
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed in a tweet on Sunday denied any Eritrean troop involvement in the conflict and said federal forces were capable of defeating the TPLF ‘renegades’.
Abiy the other day said his airforce completely wiped out all the missiles TPLF might use against the federal troops.
Prime Minister Abiy launched a military offensive in Tigray northern region on Nov. 4 after accusing Tigrayan forces of attacking federal troops based in the northern region, which borders Eritrea and Sudan.
The Eritrean government in a statement said TPLF’s attacks on Eritrean capital were deliberate efforts to draw Eritrea into the war and internationalize the conflict.
“The TPLF strategy is obvious. By striking residential areas in Asmara, the junta wants a pre-emptive retaliation from Eritrea and cry to the international community for intervention,” it said.
"However, this is not a wise move by them. From now, Eritrea has every right and justification to go to war against the terrorists as self-defense, the statement added.
Last Friday, TPLF fired rockets and attacked two airports in the neighbouring Amhara regional state of Ethiopia.
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