(MENAFN) The Sudanese army successfully repelled a heavy attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Sunday in Babnousa, West Kordofan, a military source said.

“Troops from the 22nd Infantry Division in Babnousa thwarted an RSF assault that lasted more than four hours,” the source, who requested anonymity, told Anadolu. RSF fighters employed heavy and light weapons as well as drones, but the army inflicted significant losses on the group in personnel and equipment.

There was no immediate comment from either the army or RSF regarding the incident. On Saturday, the RSF had announced via its Telegram channel that it sent reinforcements to Babnousa in an attempt to seize the city.

Clashes resumed in Babnousa on Wednesday, involving drones and heavy and light weaponry. In recent days, the army has air-dropped supplies to its forces inside the city, which has been surrounded by RSF since January 2024.

The fighting in Babnousa is part of broader clashes across North, West, and South Kordofan between the army and the RSF. Last month, the RSF captured El-Fasher, North Darfur’s capital, and was accused of massacres. The group now controls all five Darfur states, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states, including Khartoum.

Darfur covers roughly one-fifth of Sudan’s territory, though most of the country’s 50 million people reside in army-held areas. The conflict, ongoing since April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization.

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