Sudan’s army has said it carried out a “well-planned” preemptive attack south of the Al-Keili area in southeastern Blue Nile state, killing a number of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters and destroying nine combat vehicles.
Sudan’s defence ministry said in a statement on Friday that the armed forces and allied units carried out the operation based on “precise intelligence”.
“The swift operation inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, including the destruction of nine combat vehicles with all their equipment and the elimination of a number of Rapid Support Forces militia mercenaries,” the ministry said.
It added that the operation had destroyed the RSF’s main combat capability in the area and left its presence “completely paralysed”.
There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the army’s claims.
The development came a day after the army said it had taken control of 11 areas in North Kordofan state following clashes with the RSF.
The RSF carried out drone attacks on Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state, on Tuesday. The army said on Sunday it had also shot down an RSF drone in the Balanq area.
The army said it had taken control of the strategic Jabal Kadam area in Blue Nile and repelled an attack by the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).
Fighting spreads across Sudan
On September 2, Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al Burhan visited Damazin, inspecting the army’s 4th Infantry Division and its combat readiness.
The visit followed the arrival of Joint Forces from armed movements allied with the army and an elite brigade from the General Intelligence Service to participate in military operations in Blue Nile.
Alongside Blue Nile and Darfur, Sudan’s three Kordofan states — North, West and South Kordofan — have witnessed fighting between the army and RSF since October 25 last year.
Sudan has been engulfed in war between the army and RSF since April 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.
