Operation Aider is the codename of the

Ethiopian Air Force The Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) () is the air service branch of the Ethiopian National Defence Force. The ETAF is tasked with protecting the national air space, providing support to ground forces, as well as assisting civil operations during wa ...

's air attack on

Asmara International Airport Asmara International Airport () is the international airport of Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. It is the country's largest airport and the only one receiving regularly scheduled services as of 2017. History The airport was constructed by the ...

on 29 May 2000, during the Ethiopian-Eritrean War. The facility was used both as a military and as a civilian airport.

Background

On 5 June 5 1998, an Eritrean

MB-339 The Aermacchi MB-339 is a military jet trainer and light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Italian aviation company Aermacchi. The MB-339 was developed during the 1970s in response to an Italian Air Force requirement that sought a re ...

aircraft attacked the Ethiopian city of

Mekele Mekelle (), or Mek'ele, is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, with an elevation of above ...

. Administrative buildings, an airfield and the Aider elementary School were subjected to airstrikes. 53 civilians were killed in the educational institution. On 12 May 2000, the

Ethiopian Armed Forces The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) () is the combined military force of Ethiopia. ENDF is consisted of 10 command forces which is controlled by the Chief of General Staff. Commanders of the Military Supreme Commander – Taye Ats ...

launched a major offensive operation. During the fighting, the Eritreans suffered a serious defeat. They agreed to sit down at the negotiating table.Коновалов И.П. Войны Африканского Рога. — Пушкино: Центр стратегической конъюнктуры, 2014 — 192 с. ISBN 978-5-906233-77-6.
Война между Эфиопией и Эритреей
/ref> The parties agreed to meet on May 29 in

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

Airstrike

On 29 May 2000, the day of the start of the peace talks in Algeria, the Ethiopian Air Force struck the Eritrean cities of

Asmera Asmara ( ), or Asmera (), is the capital and most populous city of Eritrea, in the country's Central Region. It sits at an elevation of , making it the sixth highest capital in the world by altitude and the second highest capital in Africa. Th ...

Massawa Massawa or Mitsiwa ( ) is a port city in the Northern Red Sea Region, Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, located on the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Zula beside the Dahlak Archipelago. It has been a historically important port for ...

and

Mendefera Mendefera ( Tigrinya: መንደፈራ), formerly Adi Ugri, is an ancient town which is now the capital city of the Southern Region or Zoba Debub of Eritrea.One World-Nations Online, All countries of the world, Map of Eritrea The town's name der ...

. Obviously, the Ethiopians wanted to strengthen the position of their delegation.''Михаил Жирохов.'
Война в воздухе на Африканском Роге
// Уголок неба : авиационная энциклопедия. — 2004. Around noon that day, four Ethiopian

MiG-23 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generation jet fighter, alongside similar Soviet aircra ...

s attacked Asmara airport. With the first rocket salvo, they hit the control tower, which later completely burned down. Then the planes attacked the parking lots of military aircraft and helicopters and other objects. The aviation fuel warehouse was completely burned down, the runway and the power supply system were damaged. Aircraft (

MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...

and

Mi-35 The Soviet and later Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter has been produced in many variants, as described below. History In 1966, Soviet aircraft designer Mikhail Mil created a mock-up design of a new helicopter (derived from the Mil Mi-8) which was ...

) managed to survive thanks to concrete bunkers. Following the attackers, the Eritreans launched one or two MiG-29s, but failed to catch up with the enemy.

Reaction

According to the Chief of the General Staff of the Ethiopian Armed Forces,

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Tsadkan Gebretensae Tsadkan Gebretensae (; born c.1953) is an Ethiopian former military officer and member of the central command of the Tigray Defense Forces. In 1976, Tsadkan joined Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), becoming one of its main commanders ...

, the strike was ''aimed at taking the

Eritrean Air Force The Eritrean Air Force (ERAF) is the air service branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces. History The Eritrean Air Force was established shortly after Eritrean War of Independence in 1994. It was first established by Commander Habtezion Hadg ...

out of the game''. The acting official representative of the

US State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

, Philip Riker, called on Ethiopians to refrain from airstrikes on the airport, since humanitarian aid is coming to Eritrea through it.

Literature

* ''Михаил Жирохов.'
Война в воздухе на Африканском Роге
// Уголок неба : авиационная энциклопедия. — 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aider 2000 Eritrean–Ethiopian War 2000 in Eritrea 2000 airstrikes May 2000 in Africa May 2000 in Ethiopia Airstrikes conducted by Ethiopia Military operations involving airports History of Asmara Airport bombings in Africa 2000 building bombings Attacks on warehouses Military operations of the Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict