At Least 6 Killed in Flooding Triggered by Heavy Rain in Sudan

Flooding in Sudan. (Reuters file photo)
Flooding in Sudan. (Reuters file photo)
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At Least 6 Killed in Flooding Triggered by Heavy Rain in Sudan

Flooding in Sudan. (Reuters file photo)
Flooding in Sudan. (Reuters file photo)

At least six people were killed Tuesday in flooding triggered by heavy rain in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and elsewhere in the country, said state-run news agency SUNA.

SUNA news agency said at least five people, including two children, were killed when rains destroyed their house in the village of Rifaa in central Jazeera province.

Another two children were injured, the report added.

In the nearby village of Zarqa, at least 15 houses were destroyed, and at least one person died, the agency said.

Power outages have also hit several areas in Jazeera province, SUNA reported.

In Khartoum, the Sudanese Professionals' Association said rains over the weekend caused floods that destroyed or damaged more than 1,300 homes on the southern outskirts of the city, where the White and Blue Nile rivers meet.

The SPA said the flooding could lead to epidemic diseases and overwhelm sanitation services.

Footage circulated online showed flood waters cutting off roads and sweeping away houses and people's belongings. Large swathes of agricultural land in the area were also flooded.

The military deployed troops to help people deal with the flooding. The Health Ministry said at least 12 provinces have been affected by torrential rains since earlier this month.



Syria Will Not Take Part in Meetings with Kurdish-led SDF in Paris, State TV Says

A member of the SDF in Deir Ezzor, Syria. (AFP file)
A member of the SDF in Deir Ezzor, Syria. (AFP file)
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Syria Will Not Take Part in Meetings with Kurdish-led SDF in Paris, State TV Says

A member of the SDF in Deir Ezzor, Syria. (AFP file)
A member of the SDF in Deir Ezzor, Syria. (AFP file)

Syria will not take part in planned meetings with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Paris, Syria's state news agency quoted a government source as saying on Saturday, casting doubt over an integration deal signed by the two sides in March. 

The SDF was the main fighting force allied to the United States in Syria during fighting that defeated the ISIS group in 2019 after the group declared a caliphate across swathes of Syria and Iraq. 

In March, the SDF signed a deal with the new government in Damascus to join Syria's state institutions. 

The deal aims to stitch back together a country fractured by 14 years of war, paving the way for Kurdish-led forces that hold a quarter of Syria to merge with Damascus, along with regional Kurdish governing bodies. 

It did not specify how the SDF will be merged with Syria's armed forces, however. The SDF has previously said its forces must join as a bloc, while Damascus wants them to join as individuals.