Two troops killed in attack on Um Maraheik, North Darfur

A group of militiamen attacked the area of Um Maraheik, north of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, on Tuesday evening. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a listener reported that the attackers killed two government troops and wounded two others in an attack on the military area of Um Maraheik. “They also kidnapped two government troops, seized two vehicles, fuel, and military equipment, and pillaged a number of shops and houses in the area.” The source said that the militiamen are believed to be defectors from the paramilitary Border Guards, led by a lieutenant named Musab. “The group was expelled by government forces from El Ziyadiya district of El Fasher on Monday afternoon.” The commissioner of El Fasher locality, Eisa Mohamed Abdallah, acknowledged the attack on Um Maraheik, and the killing of two members of the paramilitary Popular Defence Forces. He told reporters this morning that “rebels in four armoured vehicles” carried out the attack. File photo: March of Popular Defence Forces in Khartoum, March 2012 (Ebrahim Hamid/AFP-Getty) Related: Army forces besiege district of El Fasher, North Darfur (22 October 2014)