RSF steps up attacks in Al Jazirah and Khartoum states

October 11, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified attacks on army-held areas in Al Jazirah and Khartoum states on Friday, just two days after RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemetti” ordered a general mobilization of his troops.

In Al Jazirah state, an RSF force attacked the village of Umm Maliha, killing at least six people and wounding several others, according to the Al Jazirah Conference, a civilian group.

Local sources told Sudan Tribune that the RSF force had initially clashed with army troops in Al Huda locality, where the army destroyed an RSF combat vehicle using a drone. The RSF then withdrew and stormed Umm Maliha on motorcycles and in armed vehicles, allegedly to loot residents.

In December 2023, the RSF seized control of Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state, and has since expanded southwards. The group has been accused of widespread abuses against civilians in the state, including killings, looting, and forced displacement.

In Khartoum state, the RSF shelled residential areas in the capital’s twin city of Omdurman from positions west of the city. The shelling wounded 16 civilians, according to a health ministry spokesperson.

The army responded with artillery fire from its positions north of Omdurman, targeting RSF locations in Khartoum and Khartoum North (Bahri). The air force also carried out airstrikes against RSF targets in central Khartoum, around the Republican Palace.

These clashes come after the army recaptured key areas in Khartoum and Bahri in a major offensive launched on Sept. 26. The army has held those positions for three weeks, and residents have begun returning to some areas, including the Al-Kadru suburb north of Khartoum Bahri.

Limited clashes were also reported around the Khartoum oil refinery, a strategic site held by the RSF since the conflict began in April.