Eritrean soldiers entered northern Ethiopian towns, government-allied commander says

MEKELLE, Ethiopia (AP) — Eritrean soldiers entered two towns in northern Ethiopia, a commander allied with Ethiopia’s government said, with military officers conducting surveillance in one of them, as residents reported that Tigrayan opposition forces had withdrawn from Shire.Ermiyas Ababu, a Tigray Peace Force commander based in Mekelle, said Eritrean personnel entered Adigrat on Tuesday and Idaga Hamus on Wednesday. He said Eritrean military officers and commanders were conducting surveillance in Idaga Hamus, citing reports from his personnel in the area.Separately, conflict monitoring group ACLED said Eritrean troops crossed the border at Zelambesa on Wednesday and Ethiopian military drones targeted them at Guada as they traveled toward Idaga Hamus.The Associated Press could not independently verify either account. ACLED, which provided its account through East Africa analyst Jalale Getachew Birru, had not responded Thursday morning to an inquiry about the basis for its claims.The a