Eritrea: Country says Ethiopia made an attack within its territory

The two Horn of Africa nations were involved in a war in 1998-2000 that killed 70,000 people. Tsorona Central Front is close to the border and saw intense fighting during the war.

  Kidane Mihret church is seen in Eritrea's capital Asmara, February 19, 2016.  

Eritrea's government has accused Ethiopia of launching an attack inside its territory, but the extent of the assault was still unclear and there was no immediate response from Ethiopia.

"The TPLF regime has today, Sunday 12 June 2016, unleashed an attack against Eritrea on the Tsorona Central Front," the Information Ministry said in a statement late on Sunday, referring to Ethiopia's Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, one of the four parties making up the ruling coalition.

"The purpose and ramifications of this attack are not clear," it said.

Ethiopian government officials were not immediately reachable for comment.

The two Horn of Africa nations were involved in a war in 1998-2000 that killed 70,000 people. Tsorona Central Front is close to the border and saw intense fighting during the war.

Eritrea and Ethiopia routinely accuse each other of backing rebels trying to destabilise and topple the other's government, a legacy from the two-year war.