Intense battles erupted on Friday between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city of Babanusa, located in West Kordofan State (southwestern Sudan), amid reports of a major RSF incursion and the encirclement of the 89th Brigade, the largest military garrison in the city.
Military sources reported that heavy clashes resumed in various areas of Babanusa, involving both heavy and light weapons, after months of RSF-imposed siege on the city from multiple directions.
Babanusa, about 697 kilometers from the capital Khartoum, is considered a key city in the Kordofan region. It serves as a central hub for Sudan’s railway network, linking western Sudan with the east and north. Social media accounts and pages aligned with the Sudanese Army circulated videos showing soldiers claiming to have repelled an RSF attack on the city. However, no official statement has been released by the army regarding these confrontations.
Meanwhile, RSF fighters posted video footage from the trenches surrounding the military division’s headquarters. If the Sudanese Army loses its garrison in the area, its presence in West Kordofan would be significantly diminished—especially after the RSF seized control of the cities of An-Nuhud, Al-Khuwei, Umm Sumaymah, and Kazgeel. These areas effectively place El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, under a tight siege from multiple directions.
