Battle of Tsorona

Battle of Tsorona
Part of Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict
Date12–13 June 2016
(1 day)
LocationTsorona, Eritrea
Coordinates: 15°N 39°E / 15°N 39°E / 15; 39
Result Both sides claim victory[1]
Territorial
changes		 No territorial changes
Belligerents
 Eritrea  Ethiopia
Commanders and leaders
Isaias Afewerki
Sebhat Ephrem		 Mulatu Teshome
Siraj Fergessa
Casualties and losses
18 killed
(Eritrean claim)[2]
Heavier than the Ethiopian losses
(Ethiopian claim)[3]		 Lighter than the Eritreans
(Ethiopian claim)[1]
200+ killed, 300+ wounded
(Eritrean claim)[3]

The Battle of Tsorona was an engagement between the Eritrean and the Ethiopian armies fought near the border town of Tsorona.[4] Eritrean government statements identified Ethiopian armed forces as the aggressors and the Ethiopian government using a smokescreen of propaganda to justify the attack.[3] Ethiopian government statements claim that the Eritrean military was seriously degraded by the attack.[5]

Background

Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have been brittle and tensions between the two countries have remained high after both countries fought each other in the Eritrean–Ethiopian War which lasted from 1998 to 2000, and since the end of the war there have been a number of small border skirmishes between the two countries using small arms, however the 2016 engagement utilized "medium- and long-range artillery".[4]

Battle

Eritrean claims

According to the Eritrean Information Ministry, Ethiopian forces attacked Eritrean troops at Tsorona on Sunday, June 12, 2016. [3] After an overnight battle, the troops were repelled on Monday, June 13, 2016.[3] Ethiopian forces quickly withdrew back over the border, with Eritrea estimating Ethiopian losses at 200 dead and 300 wounded, Eritrea did not identify any losses.[3][4]

Ethiopian claims

Ethiopian government spokesman Getachew Reda initially denied any knowledge of clashes between Eritrea and Ethiopia. [6] Subsequent comments by the Ethiopian government spokesman claimed "there were significant casualties on both sides, but more on the Eritrean side." [7]


References

  1. 1 2 Afp. "" Mail Online. 'Significant' Casualities in Eritrea and Ethiopia Border Battle. June 13, 2016. Accessed July 06, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Commemoration of Martyrs Day". Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Press Release". Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  4. 1 2 3 "Latest Ethiopia-Eritrea Clash is Culmination of Long-festering Tensions". Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  5. ↑ "Eritrea Says It Killed 200 Ethiopian Troops in Border Clash". Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  6. ↑ "Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of launching border attack". 2016-06-13. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  7. ↑ "Ethiopia and Eritrea blame each other for border clash". Retrieved 2016-06-19.
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