Sudan army says it killed RSF fighters, destroyed vehicles in Blue Nile

The Sudanese army says it has killed a number of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters and destroyed nine combat vehicles in an operation in south-eastern Blue Nile state.

The Defence Ministry said on Friday that army forces and allied units carried out a “well-planned” pre-emptive attack south of the Al-Keili area in Al-Kurmuk locality, based on what it described as “precise intelligence”.

The ministry said the operation inflicted heavy losses on the RSF, including the destruction of nine combat vehicles and their equipment.

It also said the attack had significantly weakened the RSF’s military capabilities in the area and disrupted its ability to operate.

The RSF did not immediately comment on the army’s claims.

Footage circulated on social media by pro-army accounts shows Sudanese army forces in the Al-Keili area.

Al-Keili is located along the main road linking Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state, with the town of Kurmuk. The area lies north of Kurmuk and is close to the Ethiopian border.

Its location along the Damazin-Kurmuk route gives the area strategic importance in the fighting in south-eastern Blue Nile, where the army and allied forces have been engaged in clashes with the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

The latest fighting comes amid increased military activity in Blue Nile. The RSF carried out drone attacks targeting Damazin earlier this week.

The army has also reported fighting around Jebel Kadam, where both sides have made competing claims over control of the area. The RSF recently claimed to have captured an army position there, while the army said it had repelled the attack.

The developments in Blue Nile follow a series of army advances elsewhere in Sudan. On Thursday, the army said it had recaptured 11 areas in North Kordofan following fighting with the RSF.

The military said its forces had pursued RSF fighters towards Darfur. The RSF did not immediately respond to the claim.

On 2 September, Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman and army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visited Damazin, where he inspected the army’s 4th Infantry Division and its preparations for military operations.

The visit came amid the deployment of allied forces to Blue Nile, including members of armed groups fighting alongside the army and an elite unit from Sudan’s General Intelligence Service.

Sudan has been at war since 15 April 2023, when fighting broke out between the army and the RSF following months of tensions over the planned transition to civilian rule and the integration of the paramilitary force into the regular army.

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