Ethiopia on Tuesday claimed it had killed more than 110 rebels sent by arch-foe Horn of Africa neighbour Eritrea to destabilise the country since the beginning of the month.
The defence ministry said Ethiopian security forces had killed 111, wounded 18 and captured 107 ”anti-peace forces” operating on Asmara’s behalf in northern Ethiopia since early June.
”They had dispatched themselves in the area to disturb the peace and stability,” spokesperson Dawit Assefa said, adding that the rebels had been found near Gonder, about 100km from the Eritrean border.
”The anti-peace forces came from Eritrea,” he told Agence France-Presse. ”They were under orders from Asmara and crossed the border and came into the North Gonder area.
”They were armed with machine guns and they planned to attack the Ethiopian defence forces, but the army knew they were around and was able to stop them,” Dawit said.
”They are rebels who have the objective to fulfil the mission of the Eritreans, which is to try to disturb peace in Ethiopia,” he added.
Dawit was unable to specify the nationality of those killed, wounded or captured.
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bloody two-year war over their common border between 1998 and 2000 and a peace deal that ended the conflict has yet to be fully implemented.
The two countries regularly trade allegations the other is attempting to destabilise it, but as border tensions have risen in recent months, Ethiopia has stepped up accusations that Eritrea is trying to foment unrest on its soil.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has blamed Eritrea for providing explosive material for a series of mystery blasts that have rocked Addis Ababa and provincial towns since the beginning of the year, killing at least 11 people and wounding dozens.
Eritrea has angrily denied those claims. — Sapa-AFP