Sudan army repels RSF attack on strategic base in Khartoum Bahri

September 3, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s army repelled a fierce attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a strategic base in Khartoum Bahri on Monday, as fighting between the two sides intensified in the area north of the capital.

The RSF has held most of Khartoum Bahri since the conflict began in April, while the army retains control of strategic camps in the area, including the Signal Corps, Khattab base, and the Kadaro base.

Military sources told Sudan Tribune the RSF launched the attack on the Khattab base and the Kadaro suburb camp early Monday morning.

The RSF mobilized a large number of fighters from the East Nile region, in addition to its forces stationed at the Khartoum oil refinery in the town of Al-Jaili, in an attempt to take control of Khattab camp and Kadaro.

Heavy artillery bombarded the Khattab base and the weapons depot, followed by direct clashes with the army that lasted until late Monday night.

The RSF claimed on social media to have taken control of the Khattab area after inflicting heavy losses on the army. The army said it repelled the attacks and inflicted heavy losses on the RSF, killing dozens of soldiers and some prominent commanders in Bahri and East Nile. It also said it destroyed military vehicles and seized others in good condition along with about four trucks loaded with fuel.

The army published photos of a number of RSF prisoners and displayed the military and civilian vehicles that were seized.

The commander of the Bahri military region, Major General Al-Numan Ali Awad Al-Karim, inspected the Khattab base on Tuesday and addressed a crowd of soldiers, confirming the defeat of the attacking forces.

Meanwhile, activists from the Bahri area reported that the RSF looted the main market of the area and several citizens’ homes, and killed dozens of civilians by shooting them directly.

In addition, the army’s warplanes continued to target many sites believed to be where the RSF is stationed, as it intensively bombed sites in Al-Mogran, the headquarters of the strategy, and Tuti in central Khartoum, in addition to sites in Bari, Al-Manshiya, Al-Riyadh, and other locations.

In the past few weeks, the armed forces have escalated their air operations, as the planes continued to target sites in Khartoum, Al-Jazirah, Sennar, and the White Nile, in addition to scattered areas in the Darfur region.