Ethiopia and Eritrea claim military gains in fighting
Ethiopia-Eritrea, Politics, 5/13/2000

Confrontation between Ethiopia and Eritrea continued on Friday at dawn at two border areas along their joint borders of 1,000 Km long.

The spokeswoman for the Ethiopian government Saloumi Tadisi said in a statement that confrontation erupted at Bademi and Zalambeisa fronts.

The spokesman did not disclose the side which started the eruption of fire first, noting that the two countries are in a state of war since two years over a border disputes over arid areas.

On Thursday evening, Ethiopia launched an attack against Eritrea's Mereib Seteit front along the borders between the two countries.

War between the two countries resulted in killing tens of thousands of people and left 600,000 as refugees.

Eritrea¹s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today that Ethiopia in the early morning hours yesterday, May 12 repeatedly assaulted the Mereb-Setit front and that they were repulsed with Ethiopian forces suffering heavy casualties. Also intensive shelling on the Alitiena-Mereb front. But the frontline was quiet this morning.

Ethiopia for its part said that During heavy fighting today in the vicinity of the Mereb River, the ³Ethiopian defense forces completely destroyed Eritrea's heavily-fortified trenches along with eight divisions (more than 40,000 soldiers) of the Eritrean army. The trenches being overrun by the Ethiopian forces stretch between the Tekezie and Mereb Rivers. The Eritrean army is retreating in disarray as the Ethiopian ground forces pursue them and destroy them as they flee.² Ethiopian air force repeatedly penetrated Eritrean territory a statement said.

Ethiopian forces captured strategic positions that were previously under the control of the Eritrean army. The captured positions include Dakonomia, Bishka, Mailam, Folina, Wehabit, Berkelatsia, Tsibra, Sifa, Binbina, Girme, Shilalo, Hadamo, Jarbit, Gojajilai, and Darsenay, among others, Ethiopia said, adding that In addition to the heavy fighting near the Mereb River, there were also exchanges of heavy artillery at the Zalambessa-Egala and Bure fronts, adding that Ethiopian forces are proceeding to capture more strategic positions.

Previous Stories:
  Fighting erupts between Ethiopia and Eritrea out today   (5/12/2000)
  United Nations Security Council delegation heads for Eritrea   (5/11/2000)
  Ethiopia, Eritrea hold indirect negotiations in Algeria, Saturday   (3/24/2000)

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