(MENAFN) The Sudanese army pressed ahead with new territorial gains in both North and West Kordofan on Saturday after renewed and intense battles with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to military accounts shared from the region.

Clashes reportedly escalated around the strategically important Um Samima area, located about 50 kilometers west of El-Obeid. The location serves as a key link between the two Kordofan states, making it a focal point in the ongoing conflict.

According to information provided by military sources, army units are advancing across North Kordofan, launching operations using heavy and light weaponry against RSF positions in Um Samima. The same sources indicated that government forces, together with allied units, are moving forward along the western axis of Al-Khuwayyi in West Kordofan, roughly 100 kilometers from El-Obeid.

Earlier in the week, the military announced notable advancements across fronts in the Kordofan region — progress that observers view as a potential step toward challenging RSF dominance in nearby Darfur.

The RSF, however, has also claimed recent gains, reporting advances in the Jabal Abu Sunun, Jabal Issa, and Al-Ayyara areas of North Kordofan.

On Oct. 26, the RSF took control of El-Fasher and carried out civilian massacres, according to accounts from both local and international organizations.

The paramilitary group currently holds all five states of Darfur in western Sudan, while the army maintains control over most of the remaining 13 states in the country’s north, south, east, and central regions — including the capital, Khartoum.

The brutal power struggle between the Sudanese military and the RSF has been ongoing since April 15, 2023. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths, millions of displaced civilians, and what humanitarian agencies describe as one of the gravest crises in the world today.

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