US, Other Nations Scramble To Evacuate Citizens As Sudan Battles Rage

Khartoum, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2023 ) :US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn capital, President Joe Biden said Sunday, as other nations sought to help their citizens flee deadly fighting between rival generals.

France and Turkey on Sunday also launched evacuation operations from the chaos-torn northeast African nation, where ongoing fighting has entered its second week.

Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group -- which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets -- have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded.

Biden, who said the US military "conducted an operation" to extract US government personnel, condemned the violence, saying "it's unconscionable and it must stop".

Just over 100 US special operations troops took part in the rescue to extract fewer than 100 people, which saw three Chinook helicopters fly from Djibouti, staying on the ground in Khartoum for less than an hour.

France's foreign ministry said Sunday a "rapid evacuation operation" had begun, and that European citizens and those from "allied partner countries" would also be assisted, without giving further details.

Fighting continued Sunday with the crackle of automatic gunfire echoing across Khartoum and Sudanese military aircraft roaring overhead, witnesses said.

Turkey began rescue operations at dawn via road from the southern city of Wad Medani, but plans were postponed from one site in Khartoum after "explosions" near a mosque designated as the assembly area, the embassy said on Twitter.