The Sudanese army announces that it has repelled a major attack by the Rapid Support Militia in El Fasher

The Sudanese army announced, on Saturday, that it had repelled a major attack by the "Rapid Support" forces on the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State (west), while civilians were killed and wounded as a result of the bombing of the city, according to activists.

The army said in a brief statement, "Our forces, thank God, today (Saturday) crushed a major attack by the Rapid Support Militia on El Fasher, inflicting heavy losses on them."

For its part, the Sudan Liberation Movement, which is fighting alongside the army, reported that "the Rapid Support Forces tried to invade El Fasher from all axes; north, east, west and south, after mobilizing thousands" of militants.

The Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Arko Minawi, is part of the Forces of Freedom and Change - Democratic Bloc, which includes armed movements, parties and civil forces.

The movement said in a statement that "the attack on the city began at 6:00 a.m. today (local time/4:00 GMT) with artillery shelling and the entry of infantry on the ground, and continued for 6 hours."

"Our forces taught the Rapid Support Forces lessons in fighting, killed hundreds of them, and defeated the attacking forces," she said.

In turn, the Al Fasher Resistance Committees (volunteers) issued an urgent appeal for blood donations due to the increasing number of injuries among citizens in the Saudi hospital.

The committees stated, in a statement, that the artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces towards markets, hospitals and citizens’ homes, and the heavy firing of bullets, led to deaths and injuries, the number of which is being counted.

Since May 10, Al-Fasher has witnessed clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, despite international warnings of battles in the city, which is the center of humanitarian operations for all the states of the Darfur region (west).

Since mid-April 2023, the army and the Rapid Support Forces have been waging a war that has left about 18,800 dead and about 10 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations.

There have been increasing calls from the United Nations and international organizations to spare Sudan a humanitarian disaster that could push millions to famine and death due to food shortages caused by the fighting that has spread to 13 of the country's 18 states.

Source: Anadolu Agency