Sudan’s army repels joint attack in Blue Nile region

September 18, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) — The Sudanese army repelled a joint assault by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and an allied rebel group in the Blue Nile region on Friday, military officials said, in the second such attack on the area in recent weeks.

The military and allied units ambushed forces from the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) near Al-Kaili, southeast of the regional capital Ed Damazin, according to statements from the defence ministry and local authorities.

Sudan’s defence ministry said the military launched a preemptive strike based on intelligence reports, destroying nine armed vehicles and killing several fighters.

A military division in the area said 10 combat vehicles were destroyed, two were seized, and two kamikaze drones were downed during the dawn fighting.

Neither the RSF nor the SPLM-N immediately responded to requests for comment, and casualty figures could not be independently verified.

The clash marks the second joint attempt by the RSF and the SPLM-N to push into Al-Kaili following a similar assault in late August.

Frontlines in the southeastern border region have seen renewed fighting since January. The RSF and the SPLM-N have taken control of Kurmuk and Geissan near the border with Ethiopia, as well as the strategic military garrisons of Bakkori and Surkum.