Sudan’s military said on Monday it had repelled an offensive by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in the Blue Nile region, claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties and destroyed military equipment.
The fighting took place in Al-Baraka, in Kurmuk locality near the Ethiopian border, where clashes between the military and forces allied with the Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS) have intensified in recent months.
In a statement, the army’s 4th Infantry Division said its troops and allied units conducted an operation that disrupted the movement of RSF and SPLM-N fighters led by Joseph Touka, preventing them from advancing toward military positions.
The division claimed its forces destroyed several military vehicles and other equipment, forcing the opposing fighters to withdraw under heavy fire.
The reported casualties and battlefield developments could not be independently verified. The RSF and SPLM-N had not provided an immediate response to the army’s claims.
Blue Nile has emerged as a significant front in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, with RSF and SPLM-N forces expanding their operations across the southeastern region since January.
In recent months, the allied forces have reportedly captured the strategic border towns of Kurmuk and Geissan, along with military positions in Bakori and Surkum, strengthening their presence along Sudan’s frontier with Ethiopia.
The Sudanese military has reinforced its positions across several fronts in an effort to prevent further territorial losses and regain control of areas captured by the coalition.
Commanders of the 4th Infantry Division said operations would continue across the southern sector, reiterating their intention to retake territory from RSF and SPLM-N forces.
