Hundreds of ENDF Soldiers Flee into Eritrea After Clash with TDF

Eritrean political commentator and writer Awel Said released striking footage from the northern border showing hundreds of Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) soldiers fleeing into Eritrea. Awel, who can be seen in the video himself, said the troops had appealed for Eritrean assistance after being surrounded by Tigray Defense Forces (TDF). A temporary wooden bridge was hastily built to bring them safely across the border.

The scenes emerged just days after reports that Fano units had seized Gashena, a strategic town in North Wollo whose capture sent tremors through Ethiopia’s already fractured military establishment. Gashena lies at the crossroads linking Woldiya, Debretabor, and Lalibela — key supply routes for federal troops. Its fall highlighted not only a tactical loss but also a deeper unraveling of the federal army’s control in the highlands.

Across northern Ethiopia, federal forces now face simultaneous pressure from both TDF fighters in the north and Fano units in Amhara. Reports describe mounting desertions, broken supply lines, and entire garrisons isolated from central command. In many areas, demoralized soldiers have retreated, surrendered, or — as in the footage released by Awel — sought refuge across Eritrea’s border.

Officials in Addis Ababa continue to downplay the scale of the losses, but growing video evidence tells another story: abandoned positions, fractured command structures, and an army stretched thin by wars of its own government’s making.

For Eritrea, the episode underscores the volatility unfolding just across its frontier — and the persistent danger that Ethiopia’s internal wars could once again spill outward. As Mesob Journal analyst Mr. Negash noted, “When an army begins asking neighbors for rescue, it’s not a skirmish anymore; it’s collapse in motion.”