Sudanese army says repulsed paramilitary forces attack in western Sudan, killing over 80

Port Sudan, Nov 16 (IANS) The Command of the 6th Infantry Division of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced that it had repelled an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan.

"The armed forces, joint forces, and popular resistance, backed by artillery and warplanes, have repelled an attack by the rebel militia on the outskirts of El Fasher city on Friday," the division said in a statement obtained by Xinhua on Saturday.

"The rebels suffered losses, including the destruction of six combat vehicles along with all their equipment, with more than 80 rebels killed and over 150 injured, while the rest of the attackers fled," it said.

Since May 10, violent clashes have been raging in El Fasher between the SAF and the RSF.

In a separate incident, the non-governmental Sudan Doctors Network announced on Saturday that 17 people were killed and 21 others reported missing when an RSF force attacked Al-Tumsa village, south of Gezira State in central Sudan. The statement did not specify when the attack occurred, Xinhua news agency reported.

The network warned of ongoing systematic displacement and killings in the villages of Gezira, noting that these attacks have resulted in the killing of more than 1,300 people in less than a month.

The RSF has not yet commented on the incidents.

Activists and volunteer groups accused the RSF of carrying out a series of attacks on eastern Gezira since its commander in central Sudan, Abu Aqla Keikel, surrendered himself and his forces to the SAF on October 20.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023. According to a situation report issued by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project on October 14, the deadly conflict has resulted in more than 24,850 deaths.

The conflict has also displaced over 14 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to the latest estimates by the International Organization for Migration on October 29.

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