Intense clashes continued between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Kordofan, where the army had earlier seized control of the town of Umm Sayala and advanced toward the city of Bara, according to military sources. In the western part of the region, fighting continues in strategic areas where the army seeks to cut off supply routes.
However, a military source confirmed to Al Jazeera that the Sudanese army and its allied forces withdrew on Monday from the town of Umm Sayala, just hours after reclaiming it from the RSF, as heavy fighting raged in several parts of the region.
A source from the Sudan Shield Forces, which back the army, told Al Jazeera that their withdrawal from Umm Sayala was a “tactical measure.”
The source added that the commander of the Sudan Shield Forces sustained minor injuries during the clashes in the Umm Sayala area.
For its part, the RSF announced—via a statement posted on Telegram—that it had recaptured Umm Sayala in North Kordofan after what it described as a “decisive battle,” inflicting heavy losses in lives and equipment on the army and its allied forces.
Earlier on the same day, the Sudanese army had confirmed that it had regained control of the town after battles with the RSF.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that the strategic importance of this locality may surpass that of Umm Dam Haj Ahmed and Kazgil—both recaptured by the army in recent days—since it lies on major supply routes leading to RSF positions in North Kordofan.
Following its recent takeover of Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur State, the RSF has mobilized large forces in an effort to seize major cities across the Kordofan region.
Intense battles
A Sudanese army source told Al Jazeera today that army forces are engaged in fierce battles with the RSF in several towns across North Kordofan State.
The source added that the announcement of control over the city of Bara—one of North Kordofan’s main cities—is imminent.
Field commanders from the army released videos showing their forces seizing vehicles and military equipment following clashes with the RSF in the city of Babnousa, one of the largest cities in West Kordofan State.
The army said it had repelled an RSF attack on the headquarters of the 22nd Division in Babnousa.
Meanwhile, the RSF claimed it has encircled the 22nd Division and is close to announcing the “liberation” of the city.
Babnousa holds major strategic importance as it is the army’s last stronghold in West Kordofan and lies near South Sudan’s oil production fields and refineries.
The army continues to control South Kordofan State and key cities in North Kordofan such as El Obeid, as well as parts of western Kordofan like Babnousa. In contrast, the RSF controls several towns in North Kordofan, including Bara and An-Nuhud in the west, and Ad-Dibibat in the south.
Other developments
In other developments in the region, a Sudanese army source told Al Jazeera that two RSF drones targeted a hospital and civilian areas in the town of Al-Hilba in western White Nile State—south of Khartoum and east of Kordofan—causing injuries among civilians.
The battles in Al-Fashir and Kordofan have displaced tens of thousands toward safer areas, where they now face harsh humanitarian conditions.
According to the International Organization for Migration, about 90,000 people have fled North Darfur in the past two weeks alone, without access to food, water, or medical care.
Since mid-April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a military conflict between the national army and the RSF, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of nearly 13 million people.
