Several Sudanese soldiers were killed in an attack by Ethiopian forces near the border between the countries, Sudan’s army said on Saturday.
“Groups of the Ethiopian army and militias attacked our forces in al-Fashaqa al-Sughra… The armed forces incurred several losses but will continue to protect our lands,” the army said in a statement, without stating the number of troops killed.
The Sudanese army added that it inflicted “heavy losses in lives and equipment” on the Ethiopian forces.
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Sudan Tribune cited military sources as saying that the fighting on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia resulted in the death of 21 soldiers and injured at least 30 others.
The Sudanese news outlet said the fighting lasted eight hours and heavy artillery and machine guns were used.
The location of the clash, Al-Fashaqa, is an area that borders Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region and has seen several deadly clashes between the two sides over the past years, but it became more frequent over the last year.
Tensions escalated after fighting erupted in Tigray in November 2020, as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) began confronting the government’s forces seeking to oust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The year-long war in Ethiopia has claimed the lives of thousands and displaced more than two million people, with many refugees fleeing to neighboring Sudan.
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