Mellit, June 7(Darfur 24)
Violent clashes erupted on Friday between the joint force of Sudanese armed movements and a battalion of the Libyan Army in the Jabal al-Uwaynat area, located southeast of the city of Kufra on the border between Sudan and Libya. These clashes resulted in deaths and capturing of prisoners.
Identical sources confirmed to Darfur 24 that the Sabal al-Salam Battalion, affiliated with the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army’s Ground Forces and loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, had moved and deployed at the al-Uwaynat land crossing late last week, sparking tensions on the border between the two countries.
A military source in the joint force of armed movements told Darfur 24 that Libyan forces had penetrated more than three kilometers into Sudanese territory near Jabal al-Uwaynat, prompting the force to intervene immediately and repel the incursion.
The source confirmed a number of deaths and the capture of one soldier from the joint force, without revealing further details.
This escalation comes amid growing tensions on the Libyan-Sudanese border, especially after Libyan authorities closed the land border about a month ago following the abduction of three Libyan citizens in the area. The entry of Sudanese refugees was also halted, and crossings were closed to commercial truck traffic.
It is worth noting that the border triangle between Sudan, Libya, and Egypt is under the control of the Sudanese army and the joint force affiliated with the armed movements, while the Rapid Support Forces control large areas from the northern desert of Darfur to the outskirts of the Zuruq desert.