MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. The army of the Central African Republic (CAR) and Russian military specialists thwarted a major operation by a coalition of armed groups in October, delivering a preemptive strike, CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera said in an interview with TASS.
"It would be premature to speak of stabilization in the definitive sense, and I would not want to engage in wishful thinking. However, let me present the facts as they stand, along with our position on the situation. On October 10, 2026, in the Nabagai-Tissi area of the Vakaga Prefecture, a large-scale operation by a coalition of radical groups was thwarted through the joint efforts of the CAR Defense Forces and Russian military specialists," Touadera said.
He added that the opposing force, numbering approximately 1,300, had planned an offensive against the Vakaga and Bamingui-Bangoran prefectures for the second half of October. A preemptive strike was launched against them. More than 60 militants were neutralized, and a significant quantity of Western-made weaponry was seized. Among those neutralized or forced to flee were several field commanders, including Mahamat Deya and a commander named Khalid from Nourredine Adam's group.