The fighters, some of them drone engineers, had reportedly tried to infiltrate a major city in troubled North Darfur

Sudanese troops have killed "a large number" of foreign fighters, including Ukrainian mercenaries, backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the country's protracted civil war, according to a statement by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) made on Thursday.

The killings occurred during clashes with the RSF in the besieged city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the army said. The "special operation," carried out by the army's 6th Infantry Division and allied units, inflicted "heavy losses in lives and equipment" on RSF forces.

The SAF said mercenaries from Colombia and Ukraine, including some "who were engineers in the field of drones and electronic systems," had "tried to infiltrate the outskirts of the city's neighborhoods." 

Fierce fighting in Sudan erupted in April 2023, pitting SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. The two had shared power in the transitional government formed after a 2019 uprising but are now vying for control amid a stalled transition to civilian rule. The UN says the country faces the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with thousands killed and half the population facing acute food insecurity due to the siege warfare, strikes on civilian areas, and blocked aid routes. As of September, almost 12 million people had been forcibly displaced, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

READ MORE: Ukraine doing West's 'dirty work' in Africa - Sudanese official

The Sudanese transitional government has long alleged foreign interference in the conflict. In August, Sudan's air force said it destroyed an Emirati aircraft allegedly carrying Colombian militants as it landed at an RSF-held airport in Darfur, killing at least 40 people on board. Authorities have accused the United Arab Emirates of financing the RSF and its allies.

In June, a Sudanese Foreign Ministry official told RT that Ukraine was also arming the paramilitary group. He said Kiev was doing the West's "dirty work" by supporting armed groups behind terrorist attacks in Libya, Somalia, and Niger.

Military governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have all accused Kiev of abetting "terrorism" in the Sahel and have jointly filed a complaint with the UN Security Council. Ukraine has denied the allegations.