ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 16 (UPI) -- Ethiopian troops raided neighboring Eritrea, hitting facilities officials said were used by militants for attacks against Ethiopia.
Shimeles Kemal, an Ethiopian government spokesman, said the raids Thursday targeted bases that were used to launch attacks meant to destabilize Ethiopia, CNN reported.
The attacks against Ethiopia were "organized, supported and financed by the Eritrean government," he said during a news conference.
The Ethiopian government did not provide information about casualties, The New York Times reported.
CNN said Eritrean government officials did not respond to requests for comment.
The raids 10 miles inside Eritrea refueled tensions between the nations, which fought a two-year war starting in 1998 in which 80,000 people died.
Eritrea had won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year war.
Kemal said the raids also were in response to Eritrea's backing of groups responsible for atrocities in Ethiopia, including an attack in January in which five western tourists died.
Ethiopia would prefer to settle disputes through peaceful means but would not "hesitate to take proportional retaliatory action" if Eritrea launches more attacks, Kemal said.
