Reports: Ethiopian Forces Cross into Eritrea, Take Control of Strategic Locality Near Assab Following Mechanized Fighting

October 12, 2026

UMD Media has spoken with sources on both the Ethiopian federal government and Eritrean sides regarding reports of fighting along the Ethiopia–Eritrea border near Bure.

According to a source close to Ethiopian federal government, Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) units crossed into Eritrean territory on Sunday, October 11, at approximately 5:00 p.m. local time, following mechanized fighting near the Bure front. The source said Eritrean forces reportedly fled the area, allowing Ethiopian troops to take control of Daba Sima (Deba-Sima), a strategically located village in Eritrea’s Southern Denkalya subregion, near the Red Sea port of Assab.

Daba Sima lies approximately 50 kilometres from Assab, close to the border with Ethiopia’s Afar Region.

UMD Media has not independently verified the reported territorial advance, the withdrawal of Eritrean forces, or the extent of casualties. The current military situation in the area remains unclear.

If independently verified, this would mark the first reported Ethiopian military attack inside Eritrean territory in the current escalation, representing a potentially significant expansion of the confrontation between the two countries.