Heavy clashes broke out on Monday between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) troops and a unit from the Joint Force of armed movements in the al-Salha area on the southern outskirts of Omdurman, residents and local media said.
Parts of southern Omdurman have seen sporadic insecurity in recent days, including the reported kidnapping of a resident from the village of Eid al-Hadd in the Jumu’iya district two days earlier.
Residents told the outlet al-Taghyeer that bursts of gunfire in several neighbourhoods sent people scrambling, and that an SAF detachment briefly closed the main road linking al-Salha with Jumu’iya villages before reopening it.
Witnesses said authorities ordered students back from schools once the fighting started.
A military source said the SAF launched a wide sweep in al-Salha on Monday morning targeting “sleeper cells and criminals,” and that troops exchanged fire with a Joint Force group that has been fighting alongside the SAF against the Rapid Support Forces.
The source said the situation was brought under control and life returned to normal.
The sweep resulted in the seizure of weapons and quantities of hashish and the arrest of several habitual offenders, including foreign nationals allegedly operating from al-Salha, the source added.
The military said the operation is part of efforts to restore security after recent gains in Omdurman.
