Ethiopia broke into Eritrea's territories
Ethiopia on Tuesday announced that the Ethiopian forces had controlled strategic positions in the Eritrea's lands and that battles taking place between Asmara and Addis Ababa started on Friday continued on Tuesday morning on all fronts.
On the military objectives for Ethiopia after this incursion into Eritrea's lands, the spokeswoman said our objectives have been always clear in only restoring back our territories.
Today, an Ethiopian statement said that "in the recent resumption of fighting, while the Ethiopian forces did out-flank the Eritrean divisions that were positioned on the Mereb front in more than one hundred kilometers of highly fortified trenches, the military engagement did not involve trench warfare. Rather than attacking from the front, the military strategy employed by the Ethiopian forces involved breaking weak links in the chain of trenches, penetrating from the sides and then attacking from the rear and encircling the Eritrean divisions. As a result, the Eritrean troops were forced to evacuate their trenches and fight for their lives on the run. In coordination with the air force, the Ethiopian army cut and isolated the Eritrean forces into small units. By utilizing such a military st rategy, the Ethiopian forces sustained very minimal casualties."
On Monday, while the UN security council was studying the possibility of imposing sanctions on the two warring states, Asmara said it had agreed an immediate cease- fire to launch and resume the negotiations, unconditionally.
Earlier Ethiopia announced it has controlled at least 25 position the Eritereans used to control on the Western front near Merib Seteit river which draws the border between the two countries to the north East of Ethiopia.
Yesterday , Ethiopia stated that "The Ethiopian military also annihilated Eritrean troops that were fleeing around Maidima yesterday. The valiant Ethiopian air force today bombed strategic positions between Areza and Maidema and between Barentu and Omohager. All aircraft returned safely to base after successfully completing their missions. Eritrean claims to have shot down two Sukhoi jets are not only false, but demonstrate that Eritrea is so desperate for any small victory that it will lie when there are no true victories to report. Fighting in the vicinity of Das and Barentu continues."
Eritrea had announced its acceptance of cease- fire with Ethiopia, which for its part refused to cease the battles before opening peace negotiations between the two countries.
Calls on the two countries to stop the fighting have come from the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations.