SPLM-N and RSF repel Sudanese army attack in Habila
January 16 2026 (HABILA) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Friday their joint forces under the “Tasis” alliance repelled a Sudanese army attack on Habila in South Kordofan State.
Fierce battles took place on Thursday in Habila, located approximately 30 kilometres from Dilling, the second-largest city in South Kordofan. The army’s offensive was reportedly aimed at breaking the ongoing siege on Dilling. The Sudanese army has not yet issued a comment regarding the clashes in the Habila area.
Habila holds strategic importance as it sits on the road connecting Dilling and Kadugli, a vital route that both sides are vying to control. In a statement issued Friday morning, the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu denied reports that the army had entered the town.
The movement stated that the Tasis alliance forces, comprising its troops and the RSF, maintain full control over Habila and its surrounding entrances. The statement added that the alliance has held the area for nearly two years without any significant breakthrough by government forces. According to the SPLM-N, previous and current army attempts to advance toward Habila have resulted in withdrawals and significant losses in personnel and equipment.
The statement further claimed that alliance forces are advancing across various operational fronts, asserting that the capture of Kadugli and Dilling is now only a matter of time. Both the RSF and SPLM-N have besieged the two major cities for approximately nine months, subjecting them to artillery shelling and drone strikes.
For its part, the RSF issued a statement on Friday describing the victory in Habila as a significant development. The group characterized the battles as a qualitative step toward securing advanced lines. The RSF claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on the army, seizing military vehicles, weapons, and ammunition while thwarting military breakthrough attempts.
However, a source aligned with the army-supporting forces claimed that military units entered Habila on Thursday but conducted a tactical withdrawal after achieving undisclosed military objectives.
On the humanitarian front, the civil authority in SPLM-N-controlled areas reported that new waves of displaced persons have arrived in Kalandi Payam within the Habila locality. The influx is attributed to the sharp deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Dilling, Al-Karkal, and Al-Samasim.
The civil authority stated it is working to open and secure corridors to ensure the safe exit of civilians from combat zones. It noted that Habila has so far received approximately 2,750 displaced persons, mostly women, children, and the elderly, who are being housed in camps in Kalandi Payam with emergency shelter and aid. The authority renewed its call for humanitarian organizations to expedite assistance to those displaced.