A military mobilisation is under way in Eritrea in which reservists up to the age of 55 have been called back to replenish the army.
Many in the capital, Asmara, were given notices and taken within hours on Thursday to front lines along the country’s shared border with Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
Reservists in many other parts of the country have also been informed to report to their respective head offices.
Several people are being checked by security forces to be sure they are exempted from military conscription.
Some reservists were told to bring their own supplies such as blankets and water containers, sources say. There were scenes of mothers, children and wives crying as they bid farewell to their sons, fathers, brothers and husbands.
The latest mobilisation has raised concerns that the conflict in neighbouring Ethiopia’s Tigray region might escalate further.
Fighting between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces resumed last month after five months of a humanitarian ceasefire.