On Wednesday, the Sudanese army launched a significant offensive against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital, Khartoum, targeting several key locations held by the paramilitary group in the city center, west, and south.
Fighting erupted around 2:00 AM in the Al-Muqrin neighborhood, located in western Khartoum near the strategic “Al-Istritagia” site. Plumes of smoke were observed rising from the area surrounding the Armored Corps, located south of Khartoum. It was reported that government forces had crossed several bridges into Khartoum.
In addition to reports of bombings on the “Al-Istritagia” headquarters in Al-Muqrin, which had been seized by the RSF from the army in June, Sudanese army jets carried out extensive air patrols over Omdurman.
Residents speaking to Sudan Journal reported sounds of fighting and sightings of smoke plumes near the Sudanese army’s General Command headquarters, the Arab Market, and the Signal Corps area south of Khartoum Bahri.
In Omdurman, smoke was also seen rising from the Al-Muhandisin neighborhood, which remains under army control.
A Sudanese journal correspondent in Sudan reported hearing gunfire and clashes between the army, positioned in Omdurman’s northern region, and the RSF, positioned in Khartoum Bahri’s northern region. As the army shelled RSF positions in Khartoum Bahri with heavy artillery from northern Omdurman, smoke was seen rising from the northern Khartoum Bahri areas of Al-Azariqab and Halfaya.
In addition, Sudanese army WhatsApp and Telegram groups claimed that airstrikes had been conducted on Al-Damazin, the capital of East Darfur state, an RSF stronghold, and that a ground operation had commenced in Singa, the capital of Sennar state, which is also under RSF control.
General Yasir Al-Atta, assistant commander-in-chief of the Sudanese army, previously outlined a comprehensive air and ground assault on all operational theaters aimed at destroying the RSF and its allies.
Elbasha Tbaeq, an advisor to the RSF commander, claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that the Sudanese army’s attempts to cross the Iron and Fatih Bridges into Khartoum, as well as the Halfaya Bridge toward Bahri, were repelled by RSF forces.
Tbaeq also emphasized the movement of RSF troops from the Armored Corps in the Al-Shajara region, located south of Khartoum.
According to Tbaeq, the RSF continues to maintain mobile forces allied with the Gibril Ibrahim and Minni Minawi groups in the desert north of El Fasher. These forces had earlier announced their arrival in El Fasher, releasing footage showing hundreds of vehicles loaded with troops and supplies.