Sudanese army attacks rival paramilitary group's last strongholds in Khartoum

KHARTOUM, Sudan / ANKARA

The Sudanese army on Friday engaged in heavy clashes with its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in its last strongholds in capital Khartoum's Omdurman City.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that heavy clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF have been ongoing since early morning in Omdurman City's western neighborhoods, including El-Muwaileh, Kandahar, and Ombadda.

Following the clashes with RSF, Sudanese army members posted footage of their deployment in the Ombadda neighborhood to their social media accounts.

Witnesses say the Sudanese army clashed with the RSF in southern Omdurman as it attempted to recapture the area.

The RSF has not issued any comment on the latest developments in Khartoum.

These are the last RSF strongholds in Khartoum, as the paramilitary group lost the majority of its territory in the capital, including the Presidential Palace, last week.

In recent weeks, the territorial control of the RSF has been shrinking rapidly in favor of the army across several states, including Khartoum, Al-Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar, and Blue Nile.

The army and RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million others, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

The international community and the UN have called for an end to the war, warning of an impending humanitarian catastrophe as millions face famine and death due to food shortages. The conflict has spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.