Sudanese army repulses attack by Ethiopian federal forces

GADAREF (AGENCIES) – The Sudanese army repulsed two attacks carried out by Ethiopian forces and managed to capture one of the attackers, according to Sudan Tribune, in the latest military confrontations between the two countries.

The Sudanese army successfully recovered agricultural areas on the border with Ethiopia, ending over 26 years of occupation and exploitation tolerated by the former isolated regime of Omer al-Bashir.

“A Sudanese army force consisting of the Paratroopers Corps and Military Intelligence repelled an attack by Ethiopian federal forces equipped with heavy weapons on Monday,” Sudanese army source said Tuesday.

The military source who is not authorized to speak with the press further said the new attack took place in the Sariba border area of the Grand Fashaga which is adjacent to the Tigray Region on the border.

He ruled out that the attack had been carried out by militiamen due to the heavy weapons used by the assailants.

The Sudanese officer said their troops captured a soldier of the Ethiopian army with a Goryunov heavy machine gun.

After waging war against Somalia in 1977 over Ogaden and Eritrea over Badme, the Ethiopian army is now gradually engaging in a war with Sudan.

Both sides say they seek a peaceful settlement for the developing dispute but in the ground, the ongoing operations indicate different approach.

The Amhara Region, which played a significant role in the defeat of the TPLF fighters in Tigray, now claims some areas in the northern state and also seek to recapture the fertile valley of Fashaga on the Sudanese side.

After the eruption of the armed conflict in Tigray, the Eritrean army recaptured Badme while the Sudanese army repulsed the Amhara militiamen out of the Sudanese territory.

In a related development, the Sudanese reserve forces repelled another attack in the Alallaw border area, which took place at the same time with the Sariba area attack.

The Ethiopian militiamen sneaked into the Sudanese territory and sought to loot a truck equipped with a trailer belonging to a Sudanese farmer during the harvest season of Maize.

The Ethiopian government last December said the Sudanese government must pay compensation to Ethiopian farmers who cultivated the Sudanese territory.