The Sudanese army said on Thursday it had captured 11 areas in North Kordofan state following fierce fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
A spokesperson for the Sudanese Armed Forces general command said government troops and allied forces had captured Kajmar, Sharshar, Al-Baniyah Al-Kurayniyah, Al-Qulay’at, Awlad Hazmah, Magwildat, Rayshan, Al-Qaa, Ghabat Al-Laqad, Al-Kukaiti and the area surrounding Al-Mazrub.
The army said its operations had inflicted heavy losses on the RSF and that its forces had pursued retreating fighters towards the border with Darfur.
It also said troops are conducting sweeping operations in areas west of the state capital, El Obeid.
The army said its operations would continue until state authority is restored, civilians are protected and RSF forces are removed from the areas.
The offensive on Thursday targeted RSF positions near Sodari, Umm Badr and Hamrat al-Sheikh in western North Kordofan.
Footage circulated on pro-army social media accounts showed soldiers apparently advancing in areas of North Kordofan.
The RSF did not immediately respond to the army’s claims.
Darfur regional governor Minni Minnawi, whose Joint Force factions are fighting alongside the military, welcomed the reported gains in a post on X.
The army said on Sept. 6 that it had captured the town of Hamrat al-Wiz in Jabra al-Sheikh, North Kordofan.
Since late July, the army has reported capturing large areas of North Kordofan, including the town of Bara and areas around Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Siyala.
Fighting broke out in Sudan in April 2023 between the army and the RSF after months of tensions over a planned transition to civilian rule and the integration of the paramilitary force into the regular army. The conflict has since spread across the country, displacing millions of people.
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