Smoke rises over buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer
CAIRO (Reuters) - The Sudan army on Thursday said 177 Egyptian Air Force troops were airlifted back to Egypt after being held in the northern Sudanese town of Merowe by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Sudanese army said in a statement the Egyptians were evacuated from the northern town Dongola via four Egyptian military planes. The military said the Egyptians were in Sudan to participate in joint air force exercises.
The Egyptian military did not announce the evacuation but earlier said in a brief statement it was coordinating with authorities in Sudan to secure the return of the troops.
After clashes erupted across Sudan between the RSF and the army on Saturday, the RSF shared a video it said showed Egyptian troops who had "surrendered" to them in the northern town of Merowe, about halfway between the Sudanese capital Khartoum and the border with Egypt.
The video showed men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking to members of the RSF, Sudan's main paramilitary group, in an Egyptian Arabic dialect.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday the country was in regular contact with the RSF to ensure the safety of the Egyptian soldiers.
(Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Mark Porter and Cynthia Osterman)
