Troops from Ethiopia and arch-rival Eritrea have fought a heavy border battle, the Ethiopian government said Monday, reporting "significant" numbers of casualties, with both sides blaming the other for starting the fight.

Troops from Ethiopia and arch-rival Eritrea have fought a heavy border battle, the Ethiopian government said Monday, reporting "significant" numbers of casualties, with both sides blaming the other for starting the fight.

"There were significant casualties on both sides, but more on the Eritrean side," Ethiopian government spokesman Getachew Reda told AFP. He said the battle on Sunday was one of the most serious in recent years, noting that while the two sides had exchanged gun fire in recent years, this clash was on a far larger scale.