The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said they have regained control of the strategic Al-Silik area in Blue Nile State, near the Ethiopian border, following clashes with the Sudanese Rapid Response Forces (RSF).

Anadolu Agency reported that the army’s 4th Division, after heavy fighting over the weekend, announced on Monday that it had taken the area through a “planned military operation,” inflicting significant casualties and property damage on RSF fighters.

The SAF said that fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdulaziz al-Hilu, were also engaged during the operation. Neither the RSF nor SPLM-N has issued a statement regarding the clashes.

The military action comes after reports on Sunday that RSF and SPLM-N forces, reportedly operating from South Sudan, launched a large-scale attack on Al-Silik and the nearby town of Milkan.

Sudanese authorities described the assault as a “foreign invasion,” accusing South Sudan of allowing its territory to be used as a staging ground for training and transferring military equipment to the attackers.