ISTANBUL

Kuwait said Saturday that it had launched an "emergency operation" to evacuate its citizens from Sudan amid fighting between the North African nation's army and a paramilitary group.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Salim Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah announced the ongoing effort, underlining that it came in response to the critical security situation in Sudan and after close monitoring by the political administration.

He said all Kuwaitis who wanted to return to the Gulf country had safely reached the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and that efforts continued to get them to Kuwait.

Clashes have continued for more than a week between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with more than 300 civilians killed and over 200 others injured, according to UN figures. ​​​​​​