Intense fighting between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) erupted in the Kartala area on Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in civilian casualties and significant property damage.
According to local sources, clashes broke out after SPLM-N reinforcements arrived on a western mountain overlooking Kartala, prompting the SAF to confront the movement. Two civilians, Hajar Koko, who worked in cargo transport, and a young man, Muhammad Obeid, were killed in the crossfire.
Witnesses reported that the 53rd Infantry Brigade of SAF, part of the 14th Infantry Division based in Kadugli, attacked SPLM-N positions at Jabal Watnaq, west of Kartala. The mountain is traditionally regarded as a protective zone under SPLM-N oversight, with an informal understanding that the movement maintains a presence there to safeguard local residents.
Local sources said recent SPLM-N movements alarmed the SAF, which surrounded the mountain despite attempts by local authorities to mediate. Fighting began around 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday and continued into the evening, resuming Thursday morning after more than 30 SPLM-N military vehicles arrived from Tanqali, southwest of Kartala.
The clashes caused fires in several shops in Kartala market and damaged residents’ homes, including that of Abu Bakr Madi. An agricultural tractor owned by a local resident was also destroyed.
In a statement on Wednesday, SPLM-N accused the SAF of launching a large-scale assault from three directions in Hebeila County. The movement said its forces Port Sudan troops from morning until sunset on November 26, successfully repelling the attack.
