434:), ordered the 17th to stop its advance and wait for the 3rd to catch. According to Gebru Tareke, this blunder "deprived the army of a supreme opportunity for finishing off the campaign" and allowed the EPLF to bring in tactical troops from the Jebel Dambobiet. Two days later, the EPLF counterattacked the Ethiopian forces in the hills, finding a gap in the frontlines they made an outflanking operation. Forcing the 3rd Division to conduct an orderly withdrawal, the 17th attempted to reverse the situation and engaged the guerrillas in the mountains, before being encircled. Though the encircled 17th was relieved by two battalions from the 38th Brigade which allowed them to retreat. The EPLF pressed on, by March 5th they caught up to the 3rd, attacking its left flank and forcing it to retreat to its pre-offensive position. The commander of the 3rd Division, fearing execution, committed suicide.
135:
93:
415:. Responsibility for this set back fell on Colonel Wubishet Mamo, the commanding officer of the 21st Division, who was executed in front of his troops. However, on the same day the 15th Division in the northern front was able to capture Jebel Dambobiet and, with support from the 23rd, cut the rebel supply lines to Sudan. An effective counter attack by the EPLF on the 18th forced the 15th Division to retreat, it then turned on the 23rd, forcing the Ethiopian army to relinquish all the gains they have made in the northern front.
438:
heavily defended Hill 782. "Volunteers of Death" were summoned to fight their way to the summit of the hill in fierce close fighting and hand to hand combat, the men, despite their bravery, were virtually annihilated in the fighting. The
Ethiopian army launched its fourth and final assault in June of 1982, the 15th Division move south to seize the town of Nakfa, but was repeatedly beaten back, by the 5th of July, the army stopped its offensives and began to dig in for defense, thus marking the end of the Red Star offensive.
423:) rocket launchers, also known as 'Stalin's Organs.' This assault was further supported by helicopter-borne firepower and air strikes. The Eritreans, caught off guard, may have incurred significant losses, potentially marking their heaviest casualties thus far. The 17th division registered its first major victory by seizing the key point of Rora Tselim where it was able to prevent the guerrillas in the northern zone from linking up with those in the south. From there, it advanced toward the mountain-ringed stronghold of
407:
respective targets. Antonov and MiG aircraft elentlessly pounded EPLF fortifications, while mobile troops and armored columns congregated at the bases of the plateau, ascending narrow valleys to overrun the defenders. Given the mountainous terrain that favored the guerrillas, frontal, flanking, and rear attacks occurred simultaneously. Despite the initial progress, the guerrillas maintained their positions, causing the drive to lose momentum by the fourth day and throwing the assailants off balance.
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147:
105:
411:
Division seized Kur, while the 24th
Division secured several crucial heights. Simultaneously, the 37th Brigade of the Second Division entered Filfil, and the 31st and the Second Paracommando Brigade captured their designated positions. The 21st Division, was smashed by the EPLF who lured it into a trap, resulting it its retreat to
394:" exercises in the Middle East, dubbed the forthcoming offensive the "Red Star." The motto became "Military victory first and then civic action". He described the EPLF as "anti-freedom, anti-unity, anti-people and anti-peace bandit gangs" and "the pitiful dregs of history" and confidently predicted their imminent demise.
406:
On
February 15, 1982, the Ethiopian military initiated its offensive simultaneously on three fronts. Displaying an air of readiness and supreme confidence, the success of their operational plan hinged on precise coordination. Within the initial 72 hours, all commands seamlessly advanced toward their
441:
The
Ethiopian army casualties were, 10,115 killed, 23,313 wounded and 3,159 missing, The EPLF has acknowledge around the deaths of 4,000 fighters and three times as many wounded. As a result of poor performance in Red Star, the following August saw a new operation, titled "Red Star II", keep a much
410:
The first significant setback unfolded on the western front. Mebrek's three divisions, supported by the Sentik
Mechanised Brigade and air cover, achieved their initial objectives. However, before consolidation could take place, a counter-attack surged forward. By 10:20 hours on the 16th, the 21st
389:
moved the national capital temporarily to Asmara, to be able to personally oversee a campaign in the area. By this time nearly two thirds of the army was stationed in
Eritrea. In a speech on January 25, Mengistu announced the Multifaceted Revolutionary Campaign, and in response to the planned US
437:
Despite this massive setback, the army would not concede defeat. On May 16th, the 21st and 22nd divisions moved south to capture Nakfa, dummies were parachuted behind enemy lines to confuse the guerrillas. The 21st moved towards Kubkub to seize Amba, and 22nd open a frontal assault to seize the
418:
The two-pronged assault initiated by the
Ethiopian 3rd and 17th Divisions yielded impressive results in the southern front. The 17th Division executed a deceptive maneuver by advancing towards Alghena parallel to the coast. Suddenly, it sharply turned left, demonstrating extraordinary speed and
402:
Mengistu deployed 10 divisions along three fronts of the Sahel. These divisions consisted of 84,537 combatants, 55 aircraft, 131 tanks, 162 armored cars, 102 infantry vehicles, 499 field artillery, 48 rocket launchers, 873 mortars, 691 antiaircraft guns (used against hillside redoubts), 1,349
403:
antitank guns and 7,714 heavy machine guns. The EPLF possessed 22,184 guerrillas (including a contingent of about 2,500 Tigrayans), 19 tanks, 31 armored cars, 28 field artillery, 162 mortars, 45 antiaircraft guns, 387 antitank guns and 384 heavy machine guns.
350:. Contrary to crushing the Eritrean will to resist, the unsuccessful operation actually strengthened it, prompting the people to rally behind the EPLF with increased fervor. Red Star dealt a personal and political blow to the regime of
214:
382:(EPLA), the military wing of the EPLF, and a symbol of the Eritrean struggle. The Ethiopian government was determined to destroy and capture the headquarters and main stronghold of the Eritrean resistance.
346:
from
Eritrea. From February to June of 1982, more than 80,000 Ethiopian troops attempted to crush the EPLF in a series of offensives. Despite the operation, the government made no significant gains in
207:
501:
875:
200:
880:
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558:
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427:, fighting off counter-attacks by day and night. By the 18th of February, the 17th Division had moved managed to reach within 3 kilometers of Nakfa.
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tactical efficiency. This division launched a surprise attack on the EPLF from the left flank, employing mortars, artillery, and Soviet
Katyusha (
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109:
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120:
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However, General Haile
Giorgis, who wanted to give the "honor of taking the town" to the 3rd Division (the former division of
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559:"'Operation Red Star': Soviet Union, Libya back Ethiopia in Eritrean war - UPI Archives"
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375:
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243:
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864:
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801:"From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980-82"
770:"From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980-82"
739:"From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980-82"
708:"From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980-82"
677:"From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980-82"
646:"From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980-82"
615:"From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980-82"
584:"From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980-82"
472:"Opinion | ETHIOPIAN CONFLICTS: ALL IS NOT QUIET IN THE 'NORTHERN COMMAND'"
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region, mostly populated by nomads. The zone was about 26,055km². Between
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831:"Quietly, Ethiopians mount drive to oust Eritrean secessionists"
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22,184 Eritrean guerrillas (including 2,500 Tigrayan guerrillas)
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65:
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334:'yek’ey kokeb hulegeb ābiyotawī zemecha') was a 1982
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aimed at eliminating separatist forces, specifically the
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502:"Eritrean Offensive Ends Stalemate in 22-Year War"
487:"Recalling Ethiopia's Wars: The Rage of Numbers"
23:
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317:Red Star Multifaceted Revolutionary Campaign
876:Battles of the Eritrean War of Independence
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20:
474:. July 6, 1983 – via NYTimes.com.
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881:Military operations involving Ethiopia
805:The Journal of Modern African Studies
774:The Journal of Modern African Studies
743:The Journal of Modern African Studies
712:The Journal of Modern African Studies
681:The Journal of Modern African Studies
650:The Journal of Modern African Studies
619:The Journal of Modern African Studies
588:The Journal of Modern African Studies
7:
533:Ufheil-Somers, Amanda (1982-06-15).
338:offensive and operation during the
871:Battles of the Ethiopian Civil War
362:In 1982, the frontline during the
14:
500:Ellison, Katherine (1984-03-04).
485:Waal, Alex de (August 16, 2009).
442:lower profile than the original.
380:Eritrean People's Liberation Army
535:"Dispatches: The War in Eritrea"
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901:Ethiopia–Soviet Union relations
16:Operation of the Ethiopian Army
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366:was largely confined to the
364:Eritrean War of Independence
226:Eritrean War of Independence
31:Eritrean War of Independence
315:), officially known as the
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48:15 February – 5 July 1982
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799:Tareke, Gebru (2002).
768:Tareke, Gebru (2002).
737:Tareke, Gebru (2002).
706:Tareke, Gebru (2002).
675:Tareke, Gebru (2002).
644:Tareke, Gebru (2002).
613:Tareke, Gebru (2002).
582:Tareke, Gebru (2002).
325:የቀይ ኮከብ ሁለገብ አብዮታዊ ዘመቻ
127:Commanders and leaders
432:Mengistu Haile Mariam
387:Mengistu Haile Mariam
352:Mengistu Haile Mariam
171:Casualties and losses
163:84,537 regular troops
340:Ethiopian Civil War
312:k’eyi kokeb zemecha
35:Ethiopian Civil War
140:Mengistu H. Mariam
896:Conflicts in 1982
385:In January 1982,
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293:Red Star Campaign
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76:EPLF/TPLF victory
24:Red Star Campaign
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886:1982 in Ethiopia
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718:(3): 465–498.
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152:Petros Solomon
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846:. Retrieved
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566:. Retrieved
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517:. Retrieved
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301:ኦፕሬሽን ቀይ ኮከብ
292:
291:
187:220 captured
183:4,000 killed
85:Belligerents
29:Part of the
392:Bright Star
279:2nd Massawa
254:1st Massawa
865:Categories
848:2023-03-15
568:2023-03-15
544:2023-03-15
519:2023-03-15
458:References
421:BM-21 Grad
358:Background
843:0882-7729
817:0022-278X
786:0022-278X
755:0022-278X
724:0022-278X
693:0022-278X
662:0022-278X
631:0022-278X
600:0022-278X
514:0190-8286
306:romanized
446:See also
269:Red Star
158:Strength
98:Ethiopia
66:Ethiopia
53:Location
348:Eritrea
332:
321:Amharic
308::
297:Amharic
259:Barentu
841:
815:
784:
753:
722:
691:
660:
629:
598:
512:
413:Afabet
398:Battle
274:Afabet
73:Result
539:MERIP
425:Nakfa
376:Nakfa
372:Keren
368:Sahel
244:Nakfa
58:Sahel
839:ISSN
813:ISSN
782:ISSN
751:ISSN
720:ISSN
689:ISSN
658:ISSN
627:ISSN
596:ISSN
510:ISSN
344:EPLF
330:lit.
239:Adal
121:TPLF
110:EPLF
45:Date
33:and
563:UPI
867::
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833:.
809:40
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803:.
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571:.
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390:"
319:(
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216:e
209:t
202:v
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