Sudan army repels RSF attack in Blue Nile, local official says
August 27, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – The Sudanese army on Thursday repelled an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the town of Al-Keli in the southeastern Blue Nile region, a local official said.
The clash follows a major offensive launched earlier this month by the RSF and allied fighters from a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), during which the paramilitary group took control of the strategic border towns of Geissan and Kurmuk near Ethiopia.
Abdel-Aati Mohamed, the commissioner of Kurmuk, said in a Facebook statement that government forces had pushed back the RSF and fighters loyal to SPLM-N commander Joseph Touka north of Kurmuk.
Mohamed said the army destroyed several RSF vehicles, killed dozens of fighters, and captured several others. Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the battlefield claims or casualty figures.
The commissioner also said the army shot down a drone northwest of Kurmuk, bringing the total number of hostile drones downed in the area this week to three.
Earlier on Thursday, the army said it brought down a hostile aircraft crossing into Sudanese airspace from Ethiopia. The reported cross-border activity comes amid reports that the military has deployed additional air defence systems around the regional capital, Ed Damazin.
The Sudanese government has repeatedly accused Ethiopia of providing logistical backing and safe haven to the RSF, alleging fighters launch incursions into Sudan from Ethiopian territory. Addis Ababa has consistently denied taking sides in the conflict.
The RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday’s fighting.
The escalation in Blue Nile has displaced thousands of civilians fleeing toward Ed Damazin and neighbouring areas. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said at least 13,970 people have fled Geissan and Kurmuk due to the fighting.
War between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted in April 2023, creating the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.