On Sunday, May 8, Tigrayan forces launched a heavy artillery attack over the Eritrean border at the town of Rama and Badme, BBC reported citing credible sources. Heavy fighting lasted for a few hours when the Eritrean forces managed to launch a counter-offensive that ended the assault, according to the report. BBC cited a senior Ethiopian official who spoke on condition of anonymity saying that the skirmish was provoked by Tigrayan forces. The fighting was carried out by command of heavy artillery yet short-lived with no involvement of ground troops, the source was quoted as saying. In response to the attack, Eritrean artillery “targeted the source of the launch and the fighting has stopped,” the unnamed official said.

The allegations were denied by Tigrayn authorities as being “untrue” even though a senior Tigrayan official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the heavy artillery was fired from Rama, Eritrea. Tigrayan forces had not responded to Eritrea’s provocations with force, he said.

Debretsion Gebremichael, the head of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in a letter to the United Nations demanded the UN’s attention and intervention in bringing a cessation of hostilities in the region and bringing an end to the humanitarian aid blockade to Tigray. He said TPLF would be obliged to resort to military force in the absence of a solution to the crisis.