The United States military conducted an emergency evacuation of dozens of American government personnel from the capital city of Sudan, Khartoum, as the security situation grew too dangerous for them to maintain a presence there. White House officials confirmed this late Saturday, as smoke was seen rising in the Sudanese capital.
This urgent response aimed at containing the worsening situation in Khartoum followed days after fighting erupted in the north African nation. According to high-ranking officials with knowledge on the matter, US diplomats have successfully departed Sudan's airspace.
With rival factions intensifying their clashes across Sudan, American diplomats and their families were evacuated through a carefully coordinated process involving half a dozen aircraft and carried out in collaboration with Rapid Support Forces. In total, 70 personnel were airlifted to safety during this operation.
Although records maintained by The State Department suggest that 16,000 US citizens may be residing within Sudan's borders; officials consider these figures likely inflated due to outdated information or other inconsistencies. As violence continues unabated since April 15th—resulting in over 400 casualties so far—international focus has shifted towards urging both sides involved in this conflict to cease hostilities immediately and seek peaceful resolutions instead.
Other nations have either already retrieved their citizens from harm's way or are currently planning evacuations amidst escalating tensions throughout Sudan—an alarming development affecting countries such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan alike.