Ethiopia and Eritrea Exchange Drone and Artillery Strikes as Border Tensions Escalate

By Staff, Agencies

Military clashes between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces have intensified near the disputed border town of Badme, with reported drone strikes and heavy artillery bombardments forcing civilians to flee their homes amid growing fears of a wider regional conflict.

According to diplomatic sources cited by the Ethiopian outlet Addis Standard on Saturday, the fighting has escalated over several days, with Ethiopian forces carrying out drone attacks while Eritrean troops have responded with heavy artillery fire.

One diplomatic source confirmed that international officials were monitoring the situation, saying drone strikes had been reported, particularly from the Ethiopian side, alongside artillery operations by Eritrean forces.

Another source warned that the escalating exchanges could develop into a full-scale military confrontation between the two neighboring countries, raising concerns about the potential consequences for the wider region.

The source said the international community was increasingly concerned that the situation could spiral into a major war whose consequences neither government had fully assessed.

Badme, located approximately 800 kilometers north of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, and 130 kilometers southwest of Eritrea's capital, Asmara, was at the center of the devastating 1998-2000 border war between the two countries, which killed tens of thousands of people.

Residents have reported nighttime explosions, business closures and families abandoning their homes as Ethiopian federal forces increase their military presence around the town.

According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project [ACLED], Ethiopian federal troops were positioned between Sheraro and Badme as of November 13, while Eritrean forces were deployed near the town's outskirts. The organization reported that neither side had established control over Badme.

ACLED also documented Ethiopian artillery fire toward areas surrounding the disputed town, alongside renewed clashes between federal government forces and Tigrayan fighters.

The Critical Threats Project [CTP], another conflict-monitoring organization, reported in a November 10 assessment that military buildups and clashes had occurred near Badme, although it could not establish which side of the international border the fighting was taking place on.

The latest escalation follows advances by Ethiopian military forces toward the Eritrean border, including the reported capture of Sheraro on November 3, according to conflict-monitoring organizations.

Relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have deteriorated considerably amid mutual accusations involving support for armed groups and disagreements over Ethiopia's ambitions to secure access to the Red Sea.

The worsening situation has also drawn international attention. Following their November 9-10 meeting in Paris, G7 foreign ministers expressed “great concern” over the deteriorating security situation and called on both countries to exercise maximum restraint and pursue diplomatic solutions.

The renewed military confrontation threatens to further destabilize the Horn of Africa, a region already facing serious security and humanitarian challenges. Continued fighting in northern Ethiopia has displaced civilian populations and disrupted the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance, raising fears that another major conflict could deepen the region's instability.