KUALA LUMPUR: A rescue mission is under way to bring out 30 Malaysians by land from Khartoum, Sudan, where fighting is continuing between the forces of two rival generals.
The rescue effort has entered a critical phase, said foreign minister Zambry Abdul Kadir in an interview with Berita Harian.
“The vehicle carrying them was previously stranded for more than four hours because of a curfew, in addition to a burst tyre on one of the vehicles carrying the Malaysians and some foreigners,” he said.
As soon as the group of Malaysians reached a designated safe location, they would be immediately removed from Sudan before being brought back directly to Malaysia.
He urged all Malaysians to pray for the safety of those in Sudan and for the success of the evacuation. A total of 32 Malaysians were previously reported to be at seven different locations in Sudan.
Emergency evacuation missions have been carried out by the US and other countries during the weekend.
On Sunday, US special forces in Chinook helicopters rescued diplomats and their dependents, while Britain launched a similar rescue mission involving more than 1,000 military personnel.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said more than 1,000 of the bloc’s citizens had been taken out during a “long and intense weekend” involving missions by France, Germany and other member nations.
A 72-hour ceasefire in Sudan failed to be observed as fighting erupted again between the two warring sides with hospitals continuing to be the target of attacks in the conflict.
Fighting reportedly spread to Bahri and Omdurman, cities adjacent to Khartoum, and fighting also took place around the military headquarters and the presidential palace. - FMT
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