Sudanese army enters strategic eastern town of Al-Kurmuk after battles with RSF
Adel Abdelrheem and Mohammad Sio
08 July 2026•Update: 08 July 2026
Sudanese army forces entered the strategic town of Al-Kurmuk in eastern Sudan on Wednesday after battles with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), military sources told Anadolu.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said army forces and allied units entered Al-Kurmuk after a series of military operations against RSF and SPLM-N fighters, retaking control of the town.
The advance follows recent gains by the Sudanese army in Blue Nile state, where it has recaptured several areas near the borders with Ethiopia and South Sudan, according to the sources.
Al-Kurmuk is one of the largest towns in Blue Nile state, alongside the state capital, Ad-Damazin. Located near the Ethiopian border, it is strategically important as it controls military supply routes and road links connecting Sudan with Ethiopia and South Sudan.
The RSF and the SPLM-N seized control of Al-Kurmuk on March 24.
The Sudanese army controls large parts of Blue Nile state, while the SPLM-N has been fighting the government since 2011, seeking self-rule for the regions of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the military. The conflict has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing nearly 13 million others.