Chad has begun relocating refugees away from its eastern border with Sudan as the military prepares to deploy in response to escalating cross-border attacks, a refugee agency official said on Monday.

President Mahamat Idriss Déby last week ordered the army to get ready in response to a drone strike from Sudan, which killed at least 17 people in Chad—including mourners attending a funeral.

Authorities report that an initial group of about 2,300 refugees, over half of whom are women and children, have started moving inland from the border town of Tiné in the Ennedi Est region.

The relocation effort, which started over the weekend, is expected to expand to other border transit points.

Officials indicate the move is urgent, with the army set to secure the frontier in the coming days amid rising tensions. Chad has also reinforced its military presence and signaled it could carry out operations inside Sudan if attacks persist.

The situation is tied to the ongoing conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023. The violence has repeatedly spilled across the border, displacing civilians and causing casualties on Chadian soil.