The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Monday that its fighters had retaken the strategic city of Bara in Sudan’s North Kordofan state, just ten days after General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) regained control of the town.
Videos widely circulated by RSF fighters on social media appeared to show their presence inside the city, with troops claiming full control of the area.
In a statement cited by Radio Dabanga, the RSF’s official spokesperson said the capture of Bara was part of an expansion of its operational campaign aimed at advancing toward other military strongholds.
The statement claimed RSF units inflicted casualties on the SAF and the Islamist-aligned Al-Bara bin Malik Brigade, destroying and seizing dozens of military vehicles and capturing large quantities of weapons and equipment.
The latest takeover marks the third time RSF forces have controlled the city since the war began in April 2023. The RSF initially captured Bara early in the conflict before the army retook it in November. RSF fighters seized the city again in December before losing it once more to government forces earlier this month.
During the past several days, RSF units also carried out sustained drone attacks targeting positions in and around the city.
Sources said SAF units and allied joint forces withdrew toward the nearby city of El Obeid following the RSF advance.
Bara sits along a key section of Sudan’s export road network linking western regions with central, eastern and northern parts of the country. The city lies about 40 kilometres north of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.
New attack on Dilling
Meanwhile, in South Kordofan, SAF forces said they had repelled a new attack on the city of Dilling launched early Monday by RSF forces and fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
Military sources said the assault came from two separate directions.
The latest offensive marks the third attack on Dilling in the past two weeks, amid continued artillery shelling that has caused casualties and injuries among civilians.
The fighting and bombardment have also triggered fresh displacement of residents from the area as clashes continue.
