Sudan's state news agency says President Omar al-Bashir has undergone what it calls “successful, minor surgery” in Saudi Arabia.

The report Tuesday did not say what type of surgery Mr. Bashir had, but said he is recovering well and will be released from the hospital in a few hours.

This is the second time this year the Sudanese leader has undergone surgery. Government officials have said he had a minor operation on his vocal cords in August but insist the president is in good health.

Observers note Mr. Bashir has given fewer speeches lately, though he continues to appear in public.

The 68-year-old Mr. Bashir has led Sudan since taking power in a 1989 coup.

He is the subject of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court, which accuses of him of war crimes and genocide in Sudan's Darfur region.

The ruling has largely restricted him to visiting countries like Saudi Arabia that are non-signatories to the Rome Statute which established the court.