Sudan Army Says It Captures RSF Stronghold in North Kordofan

Sudan's armed forces say they have captured al-Mazroub in North Kordofan after heavy fighting with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in a significant battlefield development in a region that has become central to the country's ongoing civil war.

The Sudanese Armed Forces said in a statement on Friday that their troops had secured control of the town following fierce clashes that caused casualties among RSF fighters and resulted in the destruction or loss of several combat vehicles.

The military also called on residents in areas it said had been "liberated" to remain calm and return to normal daily life.

A Sudanese army source described al-Mazroub as the RSF's largest stronghold in North Kordofan.

Army Special Forces spokesman Mohammed Deidan said the town was strategically important because it connects North Kordofan with West Kordofan. He said capturing al-Mazroub would help the army disrupt RSF supply routes and strengthen its position across the wider Kordofan region.

Fighting has intensified across Kordofan since late 2025, making the region one of the most heavily contested areas in Sudan's war, which began in April 2023.

The vast Kordofan region consists of North, West and South Kordofan and sits between areas controlled by the rival forces. The army maintains control over much of central and northern Sudan, while the RSF has established a strong presence across Darfur to the west. South Kordofan remains heavily contested.

The strategic importance of Kordofan stems partly from its location between the country's central regions and Darfur. Control of roads and supply routes through the area could affect the ability of either side to move troops, weapons and other supplies.

Since the conflict began, Kordofan has experienced a substantial share of Sudan's recorded attacks, with the region increasingly becoming a major front in the war.

The fighting has also heightened ethnic and political tensions. Last month, the Sudan Doctors Network accused the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), an armed group allied with the RSF, of carrying out an artillery attack in the town of Dilling in South Kordofan.

The SPLM-N emerged from a breakaway faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, the political force that governs neighbouring South Sudan. Its leader, Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, has aligned the group with the RSF and joined the RSF-led parallel administration in Sudan.

The latest reported capture of al-Mazroub could give the Sudanese army greater leverage in North and West Kordofan, although the broader conflict remains unresolved and fighting continues across several fronts.