Sudanese army recaptures strategic Blue Nile area
May 15, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – The Sudanese army recaptured a vital area in the southeastern Blue Nile region on Friday, following fierce battles in an active theatre of war that opened last February.
Military sources told Sudan Tribune that the army regained control of the town of Khor Hassan in the southeastern part of the Blue Nile region.
The sources added that the movements of the army and its allied forces are part of a strategic plan to advance toward the border town of Kurmuk.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) coalition had seized Kurmuk, which borders Ethiopia, last March.
The SPLM-N, which is allied with the RSF, announced in a statement on May 8 that its forces had taken control of the Khor Hassan garrison as a precursor to advancing toward other areas.
A field commander revealed at the time that the SPLM-N forces had surrounded vital areas around Ed Damazin, the capital of the Blue Nile region.
The frontline in the Blue Nile region, which borders both Ethiopia and South Sudan, flared up in February. The Sudanese government has accused Ethiopia of providing logistical support to the SPLM-N and RSF coalition.
Active combat continues across the localities of Kurmuk, Geissan, and Bau.
Earlier this week, the SPLM-N and RSF coalition announced they had taken control of Magaja town in Bau locality, shortly after the army had claimed its recapture.
The army said in a subsequent statement that forces from the 4th Infantry Division and their allied troops in the Blue Nile region successfully recaptured the Khor Hassan area today.
The military statement described the clashes against the RSF and the SPLM-N forces led by Joseph Touka as heroic.
The statement added that the 4th Infantry Division inflicted heavy losses in lives and equipment on the rebel forces, forcing the remnants to flee.
Military operations will continue until the army secures full control over its areas of responsibility, defeats the rebellion, secures the borders, and restores peace and stability, according to the statement.
In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, the army continued on Friday to target the city, which the Sudan Founding Coalition has designated as the headquarters for its parallel government.
Local sources said the army launched drone strikes on RSF positions inside Nyala.
The bombardment targeted several locations, including weapons depots in the Al-Masane district and other neighbourhoods in the eastern part of the city.
The army has intensified its airstrikes on Nyala this week, striking multiple RSF sites, including the city’s airport, which the RSF uses as a logistical hub to supply its forces in the Kordofan region.