Ethiopia launches new attack on Eritrea
Ethiopian government spokesman, Shimeles Kemal speaks in Addis Ababa on March 15, 2012, where he announced that Ethiopia had attacked an Eritrean military base today, where rebel groups are armed and trained by the Eritrean government. Addis Ababa said its action was in response to the killing of five tourists in January, two Germans, two Austrians and one Hungarian in a vicious attack on the slopes of Ethiopia’s famed Erta Ale volcano in the Afar region which Ethiopia insists was carried out by Eritrea.
Ethiopia again sent troops into neighboring Eritrea, a government minister told Reuters on Saturday, following an incursion on Thursday that strained relations between the two rival countries.
"We've carried out further attacks on targets inside Eritrea. This time it's in the north section around Badme," said an unnamed Ethiopian government official quoted by Reuters. The source described the attack as "successful."
More from GlobalPost: Ethiopia launches attack on rival Eritrea
Ethiopia invaded Eritrea on Thursday, raising fears of a broader conflict. The two countries fought a war from 1998 to 2000 that killed 80,000 the Associated Press reported. The two countries have been at odds since Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia in 1983. The border "was never officially demarcated," the AP wrote, leading to the 1998-2000 war.
Eritrea said the Thursday incursion saw troops enter 18 kilometers "inside sovereign Eritrean territory to carry out an attack on Eritrean army outposts."
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Ethiopia said the incursions were in response to the planned kidnapping of Western tourists. Addis Ababa accused Eritrea of orchestrating attacks on foreigners.
The source told Reuters there will be a more detailed announcement later today.
This is a breaking news update, please stay tuned for more updates.
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