RSF counterattacks and reverses Sudan army's latest gains in Kordofan
Back-and-forth fighting tests momentum of SAF's western offensive
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have regained control of four towns across West, South, and North Kordofan, reversing recent Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) advances and disrupting a government push to relieve the siege of Dilling and retake Al-Nahud, which the RSF captured in early May.
Now in its third year, Sudan’s civil war pits the Sudanese military (SAF) against its former ally, the RSF, a regional paramilitary that mutinied in 2023.
In mid-May, the Sudanese military had captured Al-Debeibat, Al-Khuwei, and Hamadi. These operations built on eight months of successful offensives in central Sudan and North Kordofan, during which the RSF suffered major setbacks.
But holding the towns proved difficult, as SAF now faces longer supply lines, fuel shortages amid ongoing strikes at critical infrastructure, while the RSF is fighting closer to its home territory, making it easier to mobilize troops and supplies to the front. (Below: Fuel burning at a government facility in Kosti, White Nile a key logistics hub for SAF for operations in Kordofan. Geolocation: 13.1492993, 32.6869356).
In a coordinated offensive launched Thursday morning, RSF units seized control of Al-Debeibat and Al-Hamadi in South Kordofan, Al-Khuwei in West Kordofan, and Umm Sumaymah in North Kordofan after hours of fighting. Sudan War Monitor has verified RSF presence in some of the recaptured towns through geolocated footage and multiple field sources.
Sources report that RSF forces were mobilized from the Darfur region and West Kordofan, with the attacking units advancing from An-Nahud toward Al-Khuwei and Umm Sumaymah, and from Abu Zabad toward Al-Debeibat and Al-Hamadi.
Following the attack, SAF and allied forces withdrew westward to Abu Qowd in North Kordofan, while troops in South Kordofan pulled back north to Kazgil, located about 44 kilometers to the south of the North Kordofan State’s capital El Obeid.
In a statement following the assault, the RSF claimed a strategic victory over what it described as the “Islamic Movement’s army,” asserting that the towns' capture represented a major shift in momentum on the Kordofan front.
The RSF further claimed that over 2,300 enemy soldiers were killed and more than 300 military vehicles captured, including tanks and heavy weapons. These figures could not be independently verified by Sudan War Monitor. However, geolocated video footage confirms RSF presence at key government sites in the towns.
“The significant victory achieved by our forces through the liberation of four strategic areas — Al-Debeibat and Al-Hamadi in South Kordofan, and Al-Khuwei and Umm Sumaymah in West Kordofan — represents a major strategic development and a highly important battlefield accomplishment…”
“The implications of this victory go beyond Al-Debeibat, Al-Khuwei, Al-Hamadi, and Umm Sumaymah, extending directly to the heart of the larger battle in El Fasher and other axes. With each axis closed and every supply line cut, the options for the Islamic Movement’s army and its mercenaries shrink, and their morale crumbles — leaving them with no choice but surrender or annihilation.”
“Our forces bring good news to the Sudanese people, especially in the resilient marginalized regions, that the era of oppression and marginalization is over, and the dawn of justice and victory is on the horizon. The defeated Islamic Movement’s army now faces only two options: flee or surrender, as the coming days will bring even more painful strikes from our forces.”
In a separate statement, the group also claimed to have seized control of Kazgil, the town to which the Sudanese army withdrew to following defeat in Al-Debeibat and Al-Hamadi, but Sudan War Monitor cannot independently verify this claim. It described the operations in Al-Hamadi and the alleged capture of Kazgil as the fifth consecutive battlefield victory in a single day.
“Our forces have reinforced their ongoing battlefield victories and continued their advance toward the strongholds of the terrorist Islamic Movement's army, achieving a new victory with the liberation of the areas of Al-Hamadi and Kazgil, south of the strategically important city of Al-Obeid.”
“This qualitative liberation comes as part of our forces’ well-coordinated military plans aimed at expanding operational reach in preparation for further advances toward enemy strongholds and the positions of their terrorist militias.”
“As always, the bravery of our forces prevailed, delivering a fifth consecutive defeat in a single day to the Islamic Movement's army and its mercenary militias, inflicting heavy casualties. Our forces also seized large quantities of weapons and military equipment, with counting and documentation currently underway, while dozens of mercenaries fled under the weight of our intense strikes.”
“We reaffirm once again that our forces have entered an advanced phase of decisive battles against the army of terror. They are confidently moving toward the full liberation of the homeland and justice for the marginalized communities who have suffered decades of oppression and neglect.”
As of Friday afternoon, the Sudanese Armed Forces had not issued a public response to the reported territorial losses. SAF had been pushing southward from El Obeid in an effort to break the RSF-SPLA-N siege on Dilling, and westward toward An-Nahud as a launchpad for broader offensives into Darfur and West Kordofan.
The ranks of the RSF are filled with many soldiers from West Kordofan, particularly from the southern part of the state, which gives the RSF troops extra incentive to defend the territory and attempt to check the SAF’s long-running offensive.
The RSF dominated militarily during the first year and a half of the war (April 2023 - mid-2024), overrunning SAF bases throughout central and western Sudan, but suffered setbacks thereafter. Recently, it has launched long-range drone strikes against critical military and civilian infrastructure in SAF territory, causing major impacts on the economy, military logistics, and the humanitarian situation.
Sudan’s military-led government, which seized power in a coup before the war, accuses the United Arab Emirates of financing and supplying the RSF.
Videos
In this video, RSF soldiers are seen outside the headquarters of Al-Khuwei locality in West Kordofan State.
In this video, RSF soldiers showcase captured Sudanese army military equipment following fighting in Al-Debeibat and Al-Hamadi.
In this video, RSF soldiers films saying they are inside Al-Debeibat.
In this video, RSF soldiers appears inside Al-Hamadi in Al-Goz locality of South Kordofan State.
In this video, RSF troops are seen at the southern entrance of Al-Debeibat.