Sudan army seizes SPLM-N stronghold, advances toward key town
December 2, 2025 (ABASSYIA) – Sudan’s army captured the strategic town of Mabsouta on Tuesday, tightening its grip on the South Kordofan stronghold of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and pushing toward the rebel-held town of Al-Mureib, military sources and residents said.
On Sunday, the army advanced into areas that had been under SPLM-N control since 2011, including Al-Damra, Tebsa, Gordud Nama, Al-Shawaiya, Al-Jubailat, and Al-Sanadra. However, the SPLM-N claimed it had recaptured the town of Gordud Nama.
Video clips posted by SAF soldiers on social media showed the armed forces’ presence in Mabsouta, which is a key location that had remained under SPLM-N control for 14 years.
Military sources anticipate that the army will continue its offensive to regain control of the Al-Mureib area, considered the main SPLM-N bastion in the eastern mountains of South Kordofan state.
The specialized control-mapping platform, “Vesta,” reported observing extensive fires in the Al-Mureib area, where SPLM-N fighters and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) troops withdrew from Mabsouta. The platform suggested that the fires were likely caused by artillery shelling from the army targeting the concentration of forces in Al-Mureib.
Over the past few weeks, the SPLM-N and its ally, the RSF, have deployed significant military reinforcements near Dilling. This move indicates the two forces’ intention to attack the city, which is under a tight siege.
The army launched a synchronized military operation in the Abassiya, Abu Karshola, and Hibeila localities of South Kordofan state, marking the first offensive of its kind in these areas since the conflict erupted in April 2023.
Last week, the Kartala area in the Six Mountains region of Hibeila witnessed battles between the SAF and the SPLM-N, an ally of the RSF.
The SAF is aiming to break the siege imposed by the SPLM-N and the RSF on Al-Dalang, with an ultimate objective of reaching Kadugli. The army had previously announced a movement from El-Obeid, planning to advance into the areas between the North Kordofan capital and Dilling