Bamnousa: The Sudanese army repelled a fierce attack launched Friday by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the besieged city of Babnousa in West Kordofan State, in the latest round of a military escalation in the area.

According to Anadolu Agency, military sources reported that the 22nd Infantry Division in Babnousa successfully repelled a large-scale assault in which the RSF utilized heavy and light weapons as well as drones, eventually withdrawing after incurring significant losses. The sources noted that following their retreat, the RSF redirected their artillery fire toward the headquarters of the 22nd Division within Babnousa.

In recent days, the Sudanese army has successfully countered several RSF attacks on Babnousa, which involved artillery shelling, drones, and combat vehicles. To support its forces in the besieged city, the army has been airdropping supplies. The city has become largely deserted, with nearly 177,000 residents fleeing, as reported by local relief committees.

In the town of Kartala in South Kordofan State, military sources informed Anadolu Agency that army forces managed to repel and push back RSF units, along with fighters from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu and allied with the RSF, who attacked the town for the second consecutive day. The army reportedly inflicted heavy losses on the attacking forces in terms of personnel and equipment. Videos posted by army members on social media showed their forces capturing combat vehicles in Kartala.

As of 0810GMT, neither the army nor the RSF had issued any official comment. The clashes are part of a broader conflict that erupted in April 2023, with days of intense fighting across the three Kordofan states - North, West, and South - between the army and the RSF. The RSF controls all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for some northern parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. The army, meanwhile, holds most areas of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east, and center, including the national capital of Khartoum.