The Ethiopian regime has unleashed an offensive on the Assab front today, Sunday 14th February 1999.

The attack, which was accompanied by air bombardment of the environs of the front line by Antonov 130 planes, started at 6.30 a.m. [local time].

The Assab front is about 71 km from the port city of Assab.

Today's attack comes in the wake of the staggering defeats that the TPLF [Tigray People's Liberation Front] army has suffered in the other two fronts earlier this week.

The 20th Division was virtually decimated and the 24th Division heavily battered in the Tsorena flank of the Alitiena-Mereb front, while four brigades were routed in the Mereb-Setit front.

Ethiopia is resorting to air bombardment in violation of the US-brokered moratorium on air strikes, because it has received heavy pounding in ground fighting.

The US government has subsequently urged Ethiopia "not to use further air attacks".

The town of Adi Kwala, a constellation of villages in the Zela Ambessa area, and the village of Dieda Lalai, were air bombed in the past few days. Sixteen civilians were killed, while 20 others were wounded in these air attacks

Ethiopian helicopter downed

Eritrean air defence units in the Assab front have shot down, at 9.00 a.m. [local time] this morning, an Ethiopian Mi-24 helicopter gunship that came to strafe the front line.

All the crew were killed as the helicopter crashed behind the front line.

Earlier today, the Ethiopian regime bombed sparsely populated civilian areas in the environs of the Assab front by an Antonov 130 bomber plane.

The TPLF [Tigray People's Liberation Front] regime had employed fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships in the Mereb-Setit and Alitena-Mereb fronts in the fighting last Sunday and Monday [7th and 8th February], thereby unilaterally violating the moratorium on air strikes.

The Assab front line is 71 kms of the port city of Assab.