Promoted to Major General on March 1887, on April of the same year Saletta was reappointed commander in Eritrea, following the Battle of Dogali, in which an Italian column of 500 soldier was attacked and destroyed by a larger army led by "Ras" Alula. On November, following the arrival of General Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano with a large expeditionary corps, he returned to Italy.