Adel Abdelrheem and Sahin DemirSunday July 26, 2026
Sudanese troops capture a strategic area near RSF-held Bara after fighting that military sources say caused heavy paramilitary losses.
Sudan’s army has secured full control of Umm Sayala in North Kordofan State after clashes with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), military sources told Anadolu on Saturday.
The sources, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to brief the media, said army units and allied forces mounted an offensive in Umm Sayala, near the town of Bara.
They said the operation ended with the army taking the entire area after dealing what they characterized as heavy losses in RSF personnel and equipment.
Videos shared on social media appeared to show Sudanese soldiers declaring control of Umm Sayala, while other footage showed destroyed RSF military vehicles. Anadolu was unable to independently verify the recordings.
Umm Sayala sits near Bara, North Kordofan State’s second-largest city, which remains controlled by the RSF. The area is roughly 57 kilometers (35 miles) north of the state capital, El-Obeid.
As of 1545GMT, neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF had released an official statement about the reported developments.
Fighting in North Kordofan has escalated in recent months, with the Sudanese army working to widen its control around El-Obeid and push toward RSF-held positions in Bara.
Sudan has been gripped by war between the army and the RSF since April 2023. According to UN estimates, the conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 13 million people and unleashed one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
