An airstrike near Chad's border with Sudan killed at least 12 people, with Chad accusing the Sudanese military of carrying out the attack.
According to AFP, citing a Chadian security source, Thursday's (Aug 27) airstrike "targeted a fuel market where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) refuel. The attack killed 12 people and wounded 7 others."
Chad's accusation comes against the backdrop of a civil war between Sudan's military and the RSF that has lasted more than three years, displacing millions of people.
Earlier, Chad had said Sudan was responsible for an airstrike on a military convoy on its territory last week. The Chadian military said the airstrikes occurred over 100 km from the border in the eastern Ennedi region and caused no casualties among its forces.
In response to the threat from drones, Chad has raised its alert level in the area to the maximum. According to a local source, it has deployed around 100 armored vehicles and signal jamming vehicles near the eastern town of Tine, close to the Sudanese border.
For its part, Sudan said it was surprised by Chad's accusations "before any professional and independent investigation into the circumstances of the incident." Sudan's Foreign Ministry stated that its forces "are carrying out their constitutional duty to protect the sovereignty, security, and safety of Sudan while facing all threats, while respecting the sovereignty of neighboring countries and not targeting their territory."
The US Embassy in Khartoum also accused the Sudanese military of conducting airstrikes into Chad recently and condemned the incident.
Meanwhile, Sudan's military has previously accused Chad of aligning with the RSF. Nearly one million Sudanese displaced from their homes have fled to Chad, where they are facing a clean water crisis.
