RSF says it seized two Sudanese army bases in Blue Nile state

August 28, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said on Friday they took control of two army bases in the southeastern Blue Nile region alongside allied fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.

Fighting has escalated in recent days in the region bordering Ethiopia, with intense ground battles and heavy drone activity reported by both sides.

The RSF said in a statement that its joint force defeated the Sudanese Armed Forces at the Bakori and Surkum bases, capturing weapons and equipment and taking prisoners.

The military could not immediately be reached for comment, and Reuters could not independently verify the claims.

Bakori, located in the Geissan area roughly 170 km (105 miles) southeast of the regional capital Ed Damazin, is the headquarters of the army’s 13th Infantry Brigade.

Surkum, in the Kurmuk area more than 200 km southeast of Ed Damazin, serves as an advance outpost for military positions in nearby Sali.

The joint RSF and SPLM-N force, led locally by Joseph Touka, launched the assault early on Friday. Army troops repelled initial waves of attacks before pulling back from the two positions, according to local reports.

The allied forces had previously taken control of the border towns of Kurmuk and Geissan as fighting spread to the region earlier this year.

In neighbouring South Kordofan state, army forces repelled a separate RSF dawn assault on Friday on the town of Tibsa near Abbasiya Tagali, forcing the paramilitary fighters to retreat toward Moreib after several hours of clashes.