RSF SAYS IT REPELLED LARGE-SCALE ATTACK WEST OF EL-OBEID, CLAIMS HUNDREDS KILLED AND DOZENS OF VEHICLES SEIZED.

BY NJOKI KARANJA. 

El-Obeid / Khartoum, 26 September 2025.

 The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said Friday that its fighters repelled an attack by “the Islamic Movement army and mercenary/terrorist brigades” on multiple fronts west of El-Obeid in North Kordofan, inflicting heavy losses and capturing hundreds of items of equipment.

In a statement published by the RSF on 26 September, the paramilitary’s spokesperson said RSF fighters — described in the statement as “the brave” — defeated what it called a “reckless” assault, killing “hundreds” of enemy combatants and seizing more than 170 armed vehicles along with artillery, rocket launchers and large stocks of ammunition. The statement added that RSF forces remained in their positions and were preparing to push toward new axes “as part of preparations to continue the advance toward enemy strongholds,” framing the operations as part of a wider project to establish a “new Sudan.” 

The RSF memorialised its fighters killed in the fighting and used the statement to reiterate its political line, including references to its campaign slogans. The statement was published on the RSF’s official channels, including its website and social platforms. 

Independent reporting and other local sources indicate intense, ongoing combat in parts of Kordofan this month, with both the Sudanese army and the RSF claiming gains at different times. International and regional outlets have documented repeated clashes around North Kordofan and El-Obeid in recent weeks, and have reported that control of towns and roads in the area remains contested. 

Local Arabic-language outlets and military sources also reported operations and counter-operations across Kordofan on Friday, including accounts that government-aligned forces have advanced in some areas west of El-Obeid. Those reports underscore that battlefield claims by either side are difficult to independently verify amid restricted access and competing narratives. 

Humanitarian organisations and journalists have repeatedly warned that fighting in Kordofan has worsened an already severe humanitarian crisis in the region, with civilians at risk from shelling, drone strikes and displacement. Independent verification of casualty figures and the number of captured vehicles named in the RSF statement was not available at time of publication.