Sudan battles continue in Darfur and Khartoum, drone shot above Shendi

The North Darfur capital of El Fasher witnessed violent battles between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the past days. Three people were killed. Bombardments were reported from Mellit in North Darfur, and from Omdurman and Khartoum North. The SAF shot down a drone circling above the Third Infantry Division in Shendi, Rive Nile state on Wednesday.

The Sudanese Air Force bombed the eastern parts of El Fasher, occupied by the RSF since April, yesterday at dawn. This was followed by “a violent exchange of artillery shelling in the southeastern neighbourhoods,” sources reported to Radio Dabanga from the beleaguered city.

The sources told Radio Dabanga on Wednesday that three women were killed that day by an RSF anti-aircraft missile that hit the Ahmed Zeinelabdin Schools shelter in the Kafout neighbourhood east of the El Fasher Grand Market that day. Four others were injured.

The RSF fired anti-aircraft missiles to thwart a military airdrop for the 6th Infantry Division in the city, about two kilometres from Kafout. Military sources stated that the airdrop was successful. The sources said they expected clashes to take place on Thursday, “as happens after every airdrop”.

In the past few days, social media accounts supporting the RSF claim that the paramilitaries have tightened their siege on Al Fasher and prevent the entry of fuel and food supplies.

The Darfur Joint Force, which includes combatants of the Sudan Liberation Movement faction led by Minni Minawi, the Justice and Equality Movement group led by Jibril Ibrahim, and several other, smaller rebel factions said on its Facebook page yesterday that it repelled an RSF attack that lasted for hours yesterday morning.

They claimed they were able to destroy dozens of RSF vehicles and advance to new positions. It was not possible to obtain an immediate comment from the RSF, but people living in the area reported yesterday afternoon that the intensity of the clashes decreased.

On June 13, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution with 14 votes in favour and Russia abstaining, demanding that the RSF stop their siege of El Fasher and calling for an immediate cessation of fighting and the withdrawal of all fighters who threaten the safety of civilians.

Airstrikes

SAF warplanes bombed RSF targets in Mellit town at dawn on Sunday. A volunteer told Radio Dabanga that four missiles hit the El Marabi neighbourhood, damaging homes without any loss of life. 

Sources supporting the SAF said that the airstrikes targeted an RSF convoy near Mellit. They noted that the RSF stormed the Sayah area in Mellit locality, which they said was free of army presence.

Mellit has been repeatedly subjected to air raids since the RSF took control of the town in April.

The RSF accused the SAF of launching airstrikes on Wednesday evening on the town of El Dali in Sennar, which led to dozens of deaths and a large number of injuries.

Several other places in Sennar and also in El Gezira were also bombarded from the air.

The RSF accused the army of bombing Hillet Kuku in Sharg El Nil (East Nile) in Khartoum Bahri (Khartoum North) on Wednesday.

RSF troops fired anti-aircraft missiles at a warplane flying over the Umdawanban area east of the Blue Nile in Khartoum that day.

The RSF also accused the SAF of bombing the nearby El Aylafoun oil pumping station with drones on Wednesday morning. In a statement on its X account later that day, the RSF said that the airstrike on the oil pumping station caused extensive damage, as a drone hit the inside of the station, and injured workers.

The RSF took control of the El Aylafoun station which leads South Sudanese and Sudanese oil through pipelines to Red Sea ports, in October. The station was shut down until South Sudan intervened and the work restarted again.

Artillery

SAF-RSF attacks in Omdurman and Khartoum North on Wednesday and Thursday caused deaths, injuries, and damage to the El Aylafoun oil pumping station east of Khartoum.

Violent RSF shelling of El Shahinab in the northern countryside of Omdurman caused the death of a father and two of his children at dawn on Thursday. His wife was seriously injured.

On Wednesday morning, two people were injured in shelling of El Sahafiyin block 100 in Omdurman.

Drone

The Third Infantry Division command in Shendi, River Nile state, reported on Wednesday that they were able to shoot down an RSF “suicide drone” of the RSF towards the Third Infantry Division command.

Lt Gen Yasir El Atta, SAF deputy commander-in-chief and member of the Sovereignty Council, visited the Third Infantry Division on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Lt Gen Mohamed El Labib, assistant director of the General Intelligence Service (GIS).

El Atta said during his address to the soldiers that the Sudanese Air Force continues its aerial bombardments campaign for a third day and stated that “the battles will extend to Kordofan and Darfur”, and that the SAF has prepared forces to liberate Khartoum and El Gezira, and to open the Jebel Moya road in Sennar.

The junta leader also stated that “if the Sudanese military wins the current civil war, they will enact a period of strict military oversight for at least 15 to 20 years after its end, while permitting elections for civilian officials, such as a prime minister, who would be subordinate to the army chief,” Sudan War Monitor reported on Wednesday.