Sudanese army commander killed in RSF ambush in Al Jazirah state

October 22, 2024 (TAMBUL) – A Sudanese army commander was killed on Tuesday in an ambush by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near the town of Tambul in Al Jazirah state, military sources said.

The death of Brigadier General Ahmed Shaa Al-Din comes amid escalating clashes between the army and the RSF in eastern Al Jazirah.

Fighting erupted after RSF commander Abu Aqla Kikl defected to the army, triggering the RSF’s retaliatory attacks against Kikl’s former areas of influence.

According to military sources, Shaa Al-Din, who oversaw Kikl’s handover to the armed forces, was leading an operation near Tambul when his forces were ambushed.

The army and allied tribal militias briefly entered Tambul before being pushed back by the RSF, who regained control of the town.

The RSF claimed in a statement to have killed more than 370 army soldiers, including Shaa Al-Din, and captured 60 combat vehicles. Reuters could not independently verify the figures.

Local activists and residents report widespread RSF attacks on civilians in eastern Al Jazirah, including killings, forced displacement, and looting.

The Rufaa Resistance Committees, a local activist group, accused the RSF of raping a number of girls and forcing residents of several villages to flee their homes.

The clashes in Al Jazirah are the latest in a series of battles between the army and the RSF, which has controlled the state since December. The fighting has caused significant displacement and humanitarian suffering.