A spokesman for Afar, a region neighboring Tigray in northern Ethiopia, has claimed that Tigray forces have mounted attacks in his territory. The announcement marks an expansion to the eight-month conflict, during which Afar has remained untouched. Tigrayan fighters allegedly crossed into Afar on Saturday, and conflict occurred throughout the weekend and into Monday. Afar spokesman Ahmed Koloyta stated that Ethiopian military forces were on their way to aid Afar forces and allied militias in the battle to eliminate the Tigray aggressors. A spokesman for the Tigrayan forces confirmed the accounts.
The Tigrayan spokesman stated that they are not interested in any territorial gains in Afar and are rather more inclined to attack forces to degrade their fighting capabilities. He also stated that they had repelled militias sent to the region to aid the Afar forces. Military spokespersons and officials in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office have not commented on the situation. Thousands have died over the course of the past eight months and 2 million individuals have been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict. Roughly 5 million Ethiopians in the region are relying on emergency food aid.
Read More: Ethiopia’s Tigray forces enter neighboring Afar region, Afar says
