Artillery battle in Babanusa as RSF threaten Fula
Aircraft bomb RSF and airdrop supplies to beleaguered garrison
The Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have exchanged heavy artillery shelling for nine consecutive days in Babanusa, West Kordofan, further devastating a city that is already largely depopulated.
The artillery duel pits SAF troops inside the 22nd Infantry Division base on the western side of the city against RSF troops on the outskirts of the city, using Katyusha rockets and various shells, while SAF is also using its air force to bomb the RSF and drop supplies to the beleaguered base.
Army soldiers have resorted to shelters within the 22nd Division base to avoid the shelling, while RSF soldiers sheltered in citizens’ homes and under trees to avoid aircraft bombardment.
A military source affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces, who preferred to withhold his name, revealed to Sudan War Monitor that army warplanes have intensified daily air sorties bombing RSF positions surrounding the 22nd Infantry Division in Babanusa, especially on the northern and eastern sides, by dropping exploding barrels at a rate of 10 to 15 barrels daily.
The source added that the bombing led to massive damage to the homes of citizens in which the RSF were sheltering, in addition to the injury and death of large numbers of livestock such as cows and sheep.
The source revealed that the RSF counted a number of dead as a result of the airstrikes, mentioning Captain Ibrahim al-Sharif, First Lieutenant Hamid Fadlallah, and First Lieutenant Abdul Rahman Dhifallah among the dead. A number of RSF members were injured, who were taken to El Daein in East Darfur to receive treatment.
The source confirmed their forces' determination to overrun the 22nd Infantry Division before the onset of the rains.
As for the army, a military source from within the 22nd Division, who preferred to withhold his name, confirmed to Sudan War Monitor that there were casualties among the soldiers as a result of the heavy artillery shelling carried out by the RSF, which sometimes continued for seven continuous hours. Among the victims were Lance Corporal Abdullah Muhammad al-Dagal and Sergeant Ibrahim al-Tom Jali, both belonging to the artillery corps.
Additionally, the source confirmed that a number of army soldiers were injured, varying between serious and minor, including an officer with the rank of captain. The wounded were treated at the military hospital within the 22nd Division base.
The source revealed that the army faces difficulties obtaining military and food supplies by land due to the large presence of RSF and their supporters blocking the road to El Obeid via al-Fula and Dabaibat. Therefore, the army is currently relying on airdrops to obtain supplies, which he described as a double-edged sword because the RSF seizes the supplies if the aircraft misses the target.
The military source said that they intend to fight to the death to defend the 22nd Division headquarters, which is that last major military installation still under SAF control in West Kordofan and the westernmost city still partly under SAF control, apart from the North Darfur capital El Fasher.
Separately, a source from the Babanusa Emergency Room told Sudan War Monitor that the violent artillery shelling carried out by the RSF on the army defenses inside the 22nd Division on Friday, May 3, led to injuries among civilians and the death of an entire family consisting of four individuals.
The source said that the deceased family members were Mustafa Jumaa, 45 years old, his wife Taiba Ahmed Issa, 22 years old, and his children Hayat Mustafa Jumaa and Buthaina Mustafa Jumaa. The family had lived in the Al-Salam neighborhood before fleeing into the army base after suffering lack of hunger and thirst in the city.
Some survivors displaced by the fighting in Babanusa confirmed to Sudan War Monitor that the aerial bombardment and shelling led to major destruction of citizens’ homes and the burning of thatched houses, in addition to causing some serious damage to government institutions and facilities, such as the Babanusa Dairy Factory, the buildings of the Sudan Railway Authority (Western Region Headquarters) and some schools in the city, in addition to city’s water sources.
The survivors revealed that the neighborhoods of Al-Salam South, Al-Tarbiyah, Abu Ismail South, Al-Sahafa East, Al-Sahafa West, and the Dairy Factory neighborhood were those where homes were most completely and partially damaged. As the next rainy season approaches, some of the displaced expressed fears that the heavy rains that typically affect Babanusa would lead to the destruction of what remained of their straw and brick houses, wishing the war would stop before the rains started.
Below are some videos giving an indication of the destruction in Babnausa.
Rapid Support threatens to enter Al-Fula
