Sudanese army gains ground in Khartoum Bahri, closing in on key RSF base
December 14, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army and allied forces advanced in Khartoum Bahri, north of the capital, on Saturday, pushing towards the al-Azba district and nearing the suburb of Kafouri, a significant Rapid Support Forces (RSF) base and a key leadership hub.
On Thursday and Friday, the army secured control of the al-Samrab area north of Khartoum Bahri, including a main road leading to al-Azba and Kafouri, which lies in close proximity to the Signal Corps base.
Military sources told Sudan Tribune that the army “liberated neighbourhoods in al-Azba after heavy fighting involving heavy weaponry” and was closing in on Kafouri, which is now “within sniper range.”
The sources said that army warplanes and drones conducted intensive airstrikes across large parts of Khartoum Bahri, blanketing the city in smoke. Targets included al-Azba, Kafouri, and Shambat, including the al-Bashir Towers.
The RSF has positioned snipers in the al-Bashir Towers, a residential complex for high-ranking police officers near the central market, in an attempt to repel attacks from the al-Halfaya area.
Sources also reported that a drone targeted RSF supplies being transported from east of the Nile River to central Khartoum Bahri.
Footage released by soldiers and army supporters showed exchanges of gunfire in al-Azba.
The army said the commander of the al-Kadru military zone inspected special forces, central reserve forces, and mobilized troops following the capture of most of al-Samrab, reporting “high morale among the leaders and fighters.”
By retaking al-Samrab, the army has effectively isolated RSF forces at the Al-Jaili refinery in the city’s far north, linking its own forces at the Hattab base in the al-Kadru military zone with those in al-Halfaya and al-Shahid Matar Street.
Khartoum state governor Ahmed Osman Hamza said the army was achieving victories against “enemy forces” on all fronts in what he called the “War of Dignity.” He cited reports from Bahri indicating ongoing successes and the reaching of “large numbers of citizens who were besieged by the rebel militia,” referring to the RSF.
Activists reported that some RSF fighters were withdrawing from Kafouri and al-Hajj Yousif, which the army could potentially encircle from east of al-Samrab to east of the Nile. Sudan Tribune could not independently confirm these reports.