According to Mesfin Hagos, former Eritrean Minister of Defence and ardent opposition leader against the Eritrean government, during 12 and 13 November, 30 military flights carrying "thousands" of federal Ethiopian soldiers arrived in Asmara, the capital city of Eritrea. Mesfin interpreted the flights as a part of Eritrean–Ethiopian military cooperation in the Tigray War that preceded the 14 November rocket attacks.[3]
The same day the Eritrean government confirmed that missiles were launched at the capital but denied the city had been hit, saying that they landed in the countryside. The attack came just hours after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) threatened to target Eritrea.[4]
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Tibor Nagy condemned the TPLF for the rocket attacks calling them "unjustifiable attacks against Eritrea ... its efforts to internationalize the conflict in Tigray."[5] The Secretary of State of the United States Mike Pompeo blasted the TPLF for the attack, calling on it and Government of Ethiopia to de-escalate.[6]
27 November
The TPLF again fired rockets at Eritrea on 27 November, numbering four according to the media, though the group did not claim responsibility. Eritrean Press stated that they landed near Asmara as well as surrounding towns. One diplomat stated that there were reports of one landing to the south of Asmara. Another diplomat said that one of them struck a neighbourhood of Asmara but this couldn't be confirmed. No casualties were reported in the attack.[2]
