ALBAWABA - The Joint Forces of Armed Struggle Movements in Darfur stopped a Chadian attempt to bring modern weapons and drones into El Fasher, western Sudan, on Sunday. Force sources said the operation was part of regional security and stability initiatives.
The Joint Forces are expanding combat operations on multiple fronts with the Sudanese army to secure crucial areas and disrupt supply channels that have fueled Darfur instability.
Major Ahmed Hussein Mustafa, Joint Forces military spokeswoman, told Al Jazeera Net that the weaponry were transferred from Europe via Chad to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to capture El Fasher.
He said the operation, coordinated with military intelligence, captured three large drones with four air-to-ground missiles and six smaller drones with two missiles. "The killing of more than 30 RSF mercenaries and the destruction of eight military vehicles."
Military activities in Darfur have changed 18 months into Sudan's conflict. The provincial capital, El Fasher, was the epicenter of the fighting for over seven months. Recent joint troop deployments in the desert have blocked Libyan and Chadian supply routes, lowering violence in recent days.
According to the Joint Forces, Czech-manufactured "Danger Propellers," made by Woodcomp Propellers, were confiscated.
Al Jazeera Net reported that Sudanese Liberation Army-Transitional Council spokesperson Amin Ishaq Zakaria said the Joint Forces' successful interception of these weapons shows their dedication to El Fasher's stability. The forces have moved from defense to offense, he said.
Seven civilians were murdered in an RSF artillery bombardment on an El Fasher livestock market on Saturday. RSF forces shelled city districts on Sunday, triggering Sudanese Armed Forces counterattacks.
