Ethiopian forces and allied fighters say they have expanded their control across the Tigray region and pushed into the historic city of Aksum, as fighting in the northern area continues.
The pro-government militia known as the Tigray Peace Force (TPF) also said on Thursday that troops from neighboring Eritrea had pulled back toward the border.
TPF spokesman Solomon Hailemariam said Eritrean forces had suffered significant losses in the clashes.
Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel, however, rejected the claims as false in comments to local media. The scale of the reported losses could not be independently verified.
The independent conflict monitor ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project) recorded that Ethiopian government forces and TPF fighters entered Aksum, while rival Tigrayan fighters remained in the surrounding mountainous areas.
ACLED also reported that Eritrean troops were withdrawing across the border at Zalambessa, following advances by Ethiopian forces and their allies into several strategic towns.
"Ethiopian forces are on one side, and Eritrean troops are on the other," Selam, a resident of Zalambessa whose name was changed for security reasons, told AFP on Thursday.
According to AFP, there is no fighting at present, but the town has been without electricity and water for a week.
"We are stuck in the middle and living in extreme fear," Selam told the news agency.
Trading accusations
ACLED also recorded Ethiopian tanks and heavy weapons moving toward the Eritrean border on Tuesday, raising fears of a possible confrontation between the two neighbors.
Addis Ababa accuses Eritrea, along with Sudan and Egypt, of backing a rebel alliance of seven groups fighting the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Eritrea denies accusations that its forces entered Tigray to support armed opposition groups, and in turn accuses Ethiopia of threatening its sovereignty.
Eritrea, which fought alongside Ethiopia's federal army in the 2020-2022 war, severed diplomatic relations with Ethiopia over the accusations earlier this month.
Khartoum and Cairo have also denied any involvement in the conflict.
The TPF supports Ethiopia's federal government in its campaign against Tigrayan fighters tied to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
Ethiopian forces took control of Tigray's regional capital, Mekelle, earlier this month, and the TPLF confirmed it had withdrawn from the city, moving its regional administration "temporarily" elsewhere. Government forces also retook the towns of Adwa and Adigrat from the TPLF without fighting. In addition, there have been reports of Ethiopia advancing into the town of Rama, near the border with Eritrea.
On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for de-escalation in a phone call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy, following reports of an alleged confrontation between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces.
According to a U.S. State Department statement, Rubio said the region cannot afford further conflict.
