Sudanese army says it repelled RSF attack in North Kordofan State

Adel Abdelrheem and Serdar Dincel

The Sudanese army said Thursday that it repelled an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Jabra al-Sheikh area in North Kordofan State in central Sudan, inflicting heavy losses of life and equipment.

The RSF attack included more than 250 combat vehicles, it said in a statement.

Sudanese military sources told Anadolu earlier that the RSF launched an attack on the Jabra al-Sheikh area and surrounding villages in North Kordofan State in the south early Thursday.

On July 26, the army announced it had taken control of the towns of Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh, and Umm Sayala in North Kordofan State after fighting with the RSF.

The three states of the Kordofan region — North, West and South — have witnessed fighting between the army and the RSF since Oct. 25.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a conflict between the army and the RSF because of disagreements about the group’s integration into the military.

The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and 15 million displaced persons and refugees, according to data from the UN, local authorities and academic estimates.