KHARTOUM, Sudan, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- A human rights group says militias from Sudan's western Darfur region are carrying out frequent cross-border raids in neighboring Chad.
Human Rights Watch is calling for an expanded international force in Darfur. It says a force is also needed along the border with Chad to protect civilians.
Pro-government Janjaweed militiamen are accused of killing thousands of civilians in attacks on villages in Darfur and forcing 2 million people to flee, in reprisals following a rebel uprising in the region, the BBC reported.
The human rights group found nearly half of the 85 villages in the Barotta region just inside Chad had been attacked and subsequently abandoned, with 16 villagers killed in a single month.
Witnesses said those responsible were ethnic Arabs who wore Sudanese army clothing and spoke Sudanese Arabic. Some attacks have also been carried out by Chadian rebels who operate from bases inside Darfur, the BBC said.
Some 7,000 troops from the African Union are attempting to maintain security across the huge Darfur region.
