Sudanese army says it killed RSF fighters, destroyed 9 vehicles in Blue Nile

The Sudanese army said Friday that it carried out a “well-planned” preemptive attack south of the Al-Keili area in southeastern Blue Nile state, killing a number of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters and destroying nine combat vehicles along with their equipment.

Sudan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that the armed forces and allied units carried out the operation “based on precise intelligence.”

“The swift operation inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, including the destruction of nine combat vehicles with all their equipment and the elimination of a number of Rapid Support Forces militia mercenaries,” the ministry said.

It added that the operation had destroyed the force’s main combat capability and left the RSF presence in the area “completely paralyzed.”

There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the army’s claims.

The development came a day after the army announced that it had taken control of 11 areas in North Kordofan state following clashes with the RSF.

On Tuesday, the RSF carried out drone attacks on Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state.

The Blue Nile front has remained active, with the Sudanese army saying Sunday that it shot down an RSF drone in the Balanq area of the state.

The army also announced that it had taken control of the strategic Jabal Kadam area in Blue Nile and repelled an attack by the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

On Sept. 2, Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visited Damazin, where he inspected the army’s 4th Infantry Division and reviewed its combat readiness.

The visit came after the arrival of the Joint Forces of armed movements allied with the army and an elite brigade from the General Intelligence Service to participate in military operations in Blue Nile.

Alongside Blue Nile and Darfur, Sudan’s three Kordofan states, North, West and South Kordofan, have witnessed fighting between the army and the RSF since Oct. 25 last year.

Sudan has been engulfed in a war between the army and the RSF since April 2023, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.