KHARTOUM, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Energy and Mining Minister Adil Ali Ibrahim on Wednesday announced that the Sudanese army restored two oil fields in Darfur region after they were earlier seized by elements belonging to the General Intelligence Service (GIS).

The armed forces have managed to contain the situation at Hadid and Sufian oil fields in east Darfur State, Ibrahim told reporters in Khartoum.

"They have been evacuated from the area, while the armed forces are completing receiving their weapons prior to transporting them to Khartoum," he noted.

The minister explained that an armed group, belonging to the GIS, on Tuesday entered Hadid and Sufian oil fields, seized the crude oil compilation area and forced the personnel and engineers to leave their sites.

He said the incident has affected the production at the two fields, noting that "the two fields produce around 7,000 barrels of oil a day, whereas the work stopped for about 10 hours."

On Tuesday, headquarters of the GIS's Operations Authority witnessed heavy gunfire, which sparked fear among the citizens of central Khartoum and the areas of the GIS's headquarters.

The Sudanese government described the incidents as a "rebellion" by a security force.

The former Transitional Military Council in August 2019 dissolved the GIS's Operations Authority. An estimated 13,000 dismissed ex-employees were asked whether to join the army or the Rapid Support Forces, or to be discharged and get end-of-service rewards.

The majority opted for the latter, and some refused to hand over their weapons until they get the rewards. Enditem

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