KHARTOUM - (Xinhua) - Sudan 's Transitional Sovereignty Council announced on Friday that 18 people were killed in an attack by armed militias on a border area between Sudan and Chad .

The council said in a statement that the attack took place yesterday, Thursday, in Bir Sulaibeh, north of El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, bordering Chad.

The attack killed 18 people, injured 15 others, and stole 220 camels, according to the statement.

The Vice-President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, called on citizens to exercise restraint in order to enable the state to take the necessary measures that preserve their rights.

Dagalo said, according to the statement, "The protection of citizens is the responsibility of the state, as it is responsible for protecting the country's borders."

He added, "The issue of repeating attacks on citizens on the Sudanese-Chadian border is the responsibility of the joint forces, and that decisions will be taken."

And the Sudanese official added that decisive decisions will be taken regarding the borders during the emergency meeting of the Security and Defense Committee, which will be held today.

Sudan and Chad share a common border of 1,350 km, and in 2010 the two countries deployed a joint military force to control the borders and end the presence of armed groups.