Tigray residents welcome Eritrean troop pullback

Residents around Adigrat in northern Ethiopia said they welcomed the departure of Eritrean troops from some areas of Tigray after federal drone strikes, while Eritrean forces remained near the border.

Adigrat lies about 40 kilometres south of Eritrea. Burnt-out trucks were left on roads in the city after drone strikes by Ethiopian federal forces against Eritrean troops who had been present until recently.

A foreign security source said Eritrea had deployed thousands of troops in northern Tigray, backing rebels who launched a September offensive against the government. Some Eritrean forces have returned to Eritrea, while others remain near the border on the Ethiopian side.

Hagos, a 48-year-old resident of a village north of Adigrat, said an October 7 strike near his home lasted more than three and a half hours and hit a truck carrying what he said were mortars and Eritrean soldiers.

Haymanot, 33, said drones struck Eritrean forces and Tigray People's Liberation Front rebels near her village on October 10. She said she had not wanted Eritrean soldiers in the area and hoped they would not return.

Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties earlier in October and accuse each other of trying to destabilise the region. The tension has raised fears of renewed conflict decades after the 1998-2000 border war.

Residents said security remained fragile in Adigrat, where federal forces were patrolling with heavy weapons, schools had been closed for several days and some shops and restaurants were running low on supplies. The situation also remained tense in Zalambessa, a border town where Eritrean soldiers were present.

On October 16, Ethiopia's government announced a six-month interim administration in Tigray intended to prepare for elections in six months.