Al-Tina, February 22(Darfur24)
Three sources in Al-Tina, on the border with Chad, reported on Saturday that fierce battles erupted between the Sudanese army, the joint force, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following an attack launched by the latter on the town.
A military source in the Sudanese army told Darfur24 that a large RSF force attacked the town from the southwest , while drones flew overhead.
The source indicated that the army and joint force’s forward defenses repelled the attack on the southern axis adjacent to the town of Jirjira, before the forces were surprised by the RSF’s advance towards the border with Chad.
Meanwhile, a local resident from the Chadian town of Al-Tina told Darfur24 that the RSF had seized control of the town, and that the army and the joint force had withdrawn towards the waterway separating Sudan and Chad, while another force withdrew to the north of the town.
He reported that gunfire could still be heard late into the evening in areas bordering Chad.
Videos posted by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters showed them claiming control of the local government headquarters and several other institutions within Al-Tina, Sudan.
Meanwhile, members of the joint Sudanese-Chadian force posted vedio from the waterway separating Sudan and Chad, asserting that they had captured vehicles belonging to the RSF. They also showed footage of the entrance sign to the town from the Chadian side, located west of Al-Tina, to demonstrate their success in repelling the attack.
As of the time of this report, the RSF has not issued an official statement claiming control of the town.
The towns of Karnoi and Amro, along with the border town of Al-Tina, are among the last remaining strongholds of the Sudanese army and the joint Sudanese-Chadian force in Darfur. The RSF and its allied groups have seized control of most of the region’s cities, most recently El Fasher in October.