The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have continued their advance along the Kordofan front, successfully targeting a senior commander of the Sudan Liberation Movement, an ally of the Sudanese Armed Forces and other extremist militias fuelling the ongoing conflict since mid-April 2023.
Kordofan has become a centre of military confrontation between the RSF on one side and the Sudanese army, allied rebel factions, and extremist militias on the other. RSF forces are reportedly making territorial gains across several key areas.
In a statement last week, the RSF announced that it had successfully targeted Brigadier General Abbas Mohamed Turoni, spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance, in an aerial strike in the Kordofan axis.
“Our valiant air force carried out a precision strike that killed Brigadier Abbas Mohamed Turoni, spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance, led by Abdullah Yahya, a member of the Port Sudan junta’s,” the statement said.
The RSF also captured the town of Umm Sumaymah, located west of El-Obeid in North Kordofan State.
The town is believed to offer strategic positioning for the RSF, providing a tactical advantage by enabling it to encircle El-Obeid from three directions and disrupt supply lines between White Nile State and Khartoum.
The RSF spokesperson confirmed the seizure of Umm Sumaymah following fierce battles with the army and allied armed and extremist factions.
He claimed the opposing forces had suffered “heavy losses in both personnel and military equipment.”
Meanwhile, the Emergency Committee in West Kordofan State reported on July 15 that Sudanese army airstrikes had targeted the towns of Al-Fula and Abu Zabad, killing six civilians, including children, and wounding seven others.
According to Sudan Tribune, four more civilians, including a young girl, were killed in another airstrike in Al-Fula, the capital of West Kordofan State.
The Emergency Committee stated that the bombardments have disrupted civilian life, spread fear among residents, and led to mass displacement.
The strikes have also damaged local infrastructure and public services.
In May, the RSF carried out a drone attack on a military air base and other facilities near Port Sudan Airport.
A Sudanese army spokesperson said it was the first RSF attack to reach the eastern port city. No casualties were reported from the attacks, the spokesperson said.
