320 Sudan Troops Flee Fighting to Chad

Smoke in Khartoum sky, Sudan - AP
Smoke in Khartoum sky, Sudan - AP
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320 Sudan Troops Flee Fighting to Chad

Smoke in Khartoum sky, Sudan - AP
Smoke in Khartoum sky, Sudan - AP

Around 320 Sudanese soldiers have fled the fighting raging in their country to neighbouring Chad, the country's defense minister said Wednesday.

"They arrived in our territory, were disarmed and detained" on Sunday, General Daoud Yaya Brahim told a press conference, saying the troops feared being killed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battling those of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

"The situation in Sudan is worrying and deplorable, we have taken all the necessary measures in the face of this crisis," the minister said, AFP reported.

He added, however, that "this war does not concern us, it's between the Sudanese, and we must remain vigilant against all eventualities."

Chad had closed Saturday its border crossings with Sudan, stretching for more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) across open desert, which are often crossed by rebel groups from both countries.

Thousands of people have fled the shooting and bombings in Khartoum since fighting erupted between two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: Al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the RSF.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.