Ethiopia, also known as the horn of Africa nation, says it has foiled a planned attack by an Eritrean-backed group on its vast Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project.

According to Ceoafrica, Security forces killed 13 and captured seven of the alleged attackers, who were from an Eritrean rebel group.

The rebel group, from the Benishangul Gumuz ethnic minority, operates close to the border with Sudan in the western Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, where the dam is under construction.

The vast project is about 50% complete and has been a source of regional tension, which Egypt has long suspected would reduce its share of the Nile water as Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea have a long history of border disputes. 

However, in defence, Eritrea has rejected reports that it was behind a foiled plot to attack Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam project.

The Ethiopian government has said it killed 13 members of a rebel group sponsored by Eritrea who were planning to attack the vast infrastructure project.

"This whole accusation is preposterous and peddled for some sinister reason", Eritrean Information Minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, said adding that he has never heard of the rebel group accused of planning the attack.

The site of the multi-billion dollar dam is located in the Benishangul region, a vast, arid land on the border with Sudan, some 900km north-west of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, 

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia 25 years ago, and the two countries fought a border war between 1998 and 2000, which killed 80,000 people.