ISTANBUL

The Sudanese army on Friday claimed new territorial gains across the Kordofan region following renewed clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese military source told Al Jazeera.

In central Kordofan, fighting erupted in multiple areas, particularly near the city of Bara and west of El-Obeid in North Kordofan State. The army and allied forces said they had made advances in those locations, according to the source.

Army-released footage showed heavy clashes west of Bara and appeared to confirm that government forces had broken through the RSF’s first defensive lines.

The source said the army also destroyed RSF combat vehicles in the border triangle area connecting Sudan with Egypt and Libya, describing the move as a new blow to the group amid escalating clashes.

The Sudanese army and the RSF have been at war since April 15, 2023, a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 140,000 civilians have fled El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and parts of North Kordofan since late October due to RSF attacks.

The RSF currently controls all five states of the Darfur region in western Sudan, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east and center, including the capital, Khartoum.