Fighting continues between Eritrea and Ethiopia

Battles continued on Tuesday between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces on the western front of the borders between the two countries for the sixth straight day.

AFP quoted a statement by the Eritrean Foreign Ministry as saying that the Eritrean forces killed more than 18,000 Ethiopian soldiers during five days of intensive battles between Thursday and Monday.

The Eritrean statement said that Ethiopia has lost two Mig 23 planes, one helicopter and five tanks. It stressed the Ethiopian attempts to make advances in the fighting front were intercepted.

For its part Ethiopia stressed in an official statement that Eritrea was the side which on last Thursday started aggressive acts on the western front and that it had inflicted heavy casualties on the Eritrean forces

An Ethiopian statement issued on Sunday said that some 8,200 Eritrea's soldiers were killed, wounded or arrested between last Wednesday and Saturday on the eastern and western fronts.

Battles have taken place between Ethiopia and Eritrea since May 1998 because of border disputes between the two countries. So far the numerous diplomatic efforts exerted have not succeeded in settling this conflict.