SAF has carried out new air strikes near the city of Kadugli in South Kordofan, further escalating fighting in the region as sieges tighten around several key towns and humanitarian conditions rapidly deteriorate, according to military and local sources.
Warplanes on Monday bombed areas around the town of Burnu, close to Kadugli, targeting positions held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Military sources said the strikes caused casualties, though no independent figures were provided. The raids came amid intensified SAF bombardment and a tightening siege on Kadugli over the weekend, prompting international and humanitarian organisations to urgently evacuate their staff.
The renewed air attacks underscore SAF’s continued reliance on aerial force in densely populated regions, despite mounting warnings about civilian harm and the collapse of humanitarian access in South Kordofan.
Field sources said the balance of control across the region is shifting rapidly, with RSF expanding its presence across much of Kordofan and tightening sieges on strategically important towns. The developments suggest the conflict has entered a new phase, marked by encirclement tactics and the isolation of SAF-held positions.
According to the sources, local mediation efforts are being discussed to avoid direct confrontations, but decisive developments are expected in the coming days as pressure mounts on SAF units surrounded in several locations. They said RSF now controls most of the region.
After taking control of Babanusa and Heglig, RSF forces have reportedly spread across wide areas, reaching positions near Omdurman and consolidating their presence north of the city.
El Obeid is now under siege from three directions, while Kadugli and Dilling are fully encircled. Kadugli hosts SAF’s 14th Infantry Division, which has come under increasing pressure. Field reports said RSF seized the town of Burnu, administratively linked to Kadugli, before advancing to the nearby town of Um Aroug.
Meanwhile, evacuations of humanitarian and UN staff from Kadugli have continued as the city remains under siege and subject to repeated shelling and drone attacks, carried out by RSF in coordination with forces aligned with the SPLM-N faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
Local sources said aid agencies relocated staff out of Kadugli following threats of an assault on the city, as civilian displacement accelerated, particularly towards SPLM-N controlled areas around Kauda.
On Friday, the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei announced it had evacuated its logistics base in Kadugli after an aerial attack struck the compound, killing and injuring peacekeepers. Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in a drone attack on December 13.
Kadugli has been under siege since the early months of the war and has repeatedly come under artillery fire and drone attacks. On Thursday, RSF captured the town of Burnu, about 30 kilometres from the city, and massed large forces around Kadugli, raising fears of a major confrontation with SAF’s 14th Infantry Division.
