Ethiopia says it regrets the loss of life near its border with Sudan but denied claims that its soldiers were involved, blaming a local militia instead.

The government on Monday said the deadly incident followed skirmishes between Sudanese soldiers and a local militia on Ethiopian territory.

Sudan had accused the Ethiopian army of capturing seven of its soldiers and a civilian and later executing them.

Read: Sudan accuses Ethiopia of killing 7 soldiers, civilian

But Ethiopia claims a Sudanese unit, supported by Tigray rebels, had staged an incursion into its territory, resulting in the skirmishes.

Farmers and pastoralists often clash in the fertile porous border region of al-Fashqa, claimed by the two neighbouring countries.

Addis Ababa said Sudan misrepresented the facts and “unjustly put the blame on Ethiopia,” the Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement it issued Monday afternoon.

Ethiopia says it will investigate the incident.

Khartoum is reported to have filed a formal complaint with the UN Security Council.

Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visited the area and said its “response would be felt on the ground” and that “no new movements or trespasses into Sudanese land would be allowed.”

Ethiopia said it “hopes that the Sudanese Government would restrain itself from any escalation of the incident and would take measures that could de-escalate the situation.”