Joint force commander killed as clashes renew in Sudan’s Kordofan region

November 3, 2026 (AL MAZROUB, North Kordofan) – A senior commander of a joint force allied with the Sudanese army was killed on Tuesday following renewed clashes in the Kordofan region, the group said in a statement.

Brigadier General Haroun Mersal, widely known as “Abu Taka,” died during fighting in the Um Shaeira area.

His death comes as military confrontations resumed on Monday between the Sudanese army, alongside allied armed groups, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The fighting spans multiple front lines across North and West Kordofan states.

The renewed operations followed the arrival of army and joint force reinforcements in the areas of Sodiri and Al Mazroub.

The military alliance is currently preparing to advance towards Um Badr and Abu Zaeima in North Kordofan, as well as El Khowei and Al Nahud in West Kordofan.

In response, the RSF deployed recent troop reinforcements from the neighboring Darfur region to the Kordofan combat zones.

The joint force statement noted Mersal’s extensive participation in battles across North, West, and South Kordofan, as well as Khartoum state, prior to his death.

Mersal had assumed command of the Kordofan operations axis after his predecessor, General Abdelaziz Ismail Niri, was killed in an airstrike in North Kordofan in late June.