Eritrea Trumpets Ethiopian Losses

The government of Eritrea said Tuesday that more than 18,000 troops from Ethiopia had been “put out of action” in a new round of intense fighting along the two nations’ disputed border as both sides traded heavy artillery fire for a sixth straight day.

The Foreign Ministry said Ethiopia had also lost two MIG-23 jet fighters, one MI-35 helicopter and five tanks since fighting in their year-old border war resumed on the western Mereb-Setit front Thursday.

Ethiopian government spokeswoman Selome Taddesse said in response that the claims were “highly exaggerated” and that “Eritreans are being beaten back badly, suffering heavy casualties.”

There was no independent confirmation of either claim, as journalists and other observers have been barred from the area.

But Eritrean television has shown footage of what appeared to be an Ethiopian helicopter gunship being hit in midair and crashing in flames, to the delight of Eritrean soldiers.

New footage aired Monday night showed Eritrean heavy artillery and mobile rocket launchers pounding Ethiopian positions in the hills and Ethiopian artillery units returning heavy fire.

The crackle of Eritrean machine gun fire could be heard above the whistle of incoming artillery.

Eritrean presidential advisor Yemane Gebremeskel said both sides continued to pound each other’s positions Tuesday.

“The fighting is still very intense,” he said.

Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry said 2,060 Ethiopian soldiers were killed and 4,050 wounded in battles Sunday and Monday, “bringing the total number of Ethiopian troops put out of action in five days of intense fighting to over 18,000.”

Monday, Selome said a total of 8,200 Eritreans had been killed, wounded or captured, and denied the loss of the MIGs.

The border war began in May 1998, when Eritrean forces took control of two sections of disputed borderland, including the Badme region, in six weeks of fighting.

It flared again in February, and Ethiopian forces retook Badme.

Tens of thousands of soldiers are believed to have been killed in the war, and diplomatic sources put the total number of troops deployed in the current battle at about 70,000.

Since the conflict began, Eritrea has mobilized more than 250,000 troops, both men and women, from a population of 3.5 million, and most Eritreans have at least one relative on the front line.

Diplomatic and military sources in Asmara, the capital, say the current fighting on the Mereb-Setit front is for control of high ground that secures access to the Badme region.

“The crucial point is to be in the good positions when the rainy season comes,” a Western military analyst said.

Both sides have accepted a peace plan drawn up by the Organization of African Unity but disagree over its details and implementation.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year struggle. President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia were considered close allies until the outbreak of the war last year.