Dilling, April 18 (Darfur24)
Military clashes renewed on Saturday between the Sudanese army and its allied forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) across several strategic locations in North and South Kordofan states, ending months of relative calm.
The latest escalation follows a lull in fighting since September last year, when the two sides last engaged in major confrontations in the region.
Two military sources told Darfur24 that the fighting erupted in the early hours of Saturday in the Kazqil area, about 48 kilometers south of Al-Obeid in North Kordofan, before spreading to Al-Hamadi and Al-Dubaibat in Al-Qouz locality, South Kordofan.
The sources described the clashes as intense, adding that army forces advanced into Al-Hamadi and Al-Dubaibat, located approximately 80 and 58 kilometers north of Dilling, respectively.
In a statement, the Sudanese Armed Forces said they conducted extensive combing operations along the North Kordofan axis, covering Kazqil, Shawaya, Al-Hamadi, and Al-Dubaibat. The army claimed the RSF sustained heavy losses in personnel and equipment, including the destruction of several combat vehicles.
Videos circulated by army-affiliated elements on social media appeared to show captured RSF fighters, with claims that government forces had regained control of Kazqil, Al-Hamadi, and Al-Dubaibat.
Meanwhile, the RSF released separate footage claiming their forces had captured Sudanese army soldiers and repelled an attack in Kazqil and Al-Hamadi.
The conflicting narratives highlight the difficulty of independently verifying developments on the ground and determining control over contested areas.
The regions where the clashes occurred lie along a key national highway linking North and South Kordofan, underscoring their strategic importance. Control over these routes is critical for securing supply lines, facilitating troop movements, and affecting civilian travel and commercial activity between the two states.