AD-DAMAZIN – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) repelled a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attack on Bakori in Blue Nile State, while army units repositioned outside Sarkam after RSF forces entered the area, military sources said.

The sources said the army responded to the RSF attack in Bakori, but no independent details were immediately available on the scale of the fighting, casualties or damage. The RSF did not immediately comment.

In a related development, Maj. Gen. Ismail Al-Tayeb Hussein, commander of the SAF’s 4th Infantry Division in Ad-Damazin, inspected army positions in Fazogli after troops repelled what the division described as enemy attempts in the area.

The 4th Infantry Division’s media office said the commander reviewed the operational situation, combat readiness and discipline during the field visit.

Hussein urged troops to maintain vigilance and readiness, praising what he described as the resolve of officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers. He said protecting Sudanese territory and civilians remained a priority for the army.

Sudan Now could not independently verify the military accounts, including the details of the Bakori attack or the army’s repositioning outside Sarkam.

The developments come amid an escalation in military operations in Blue Nile in recent weeks, where clashes between the SAF and the RSF have intensified in several areas and worsened security and humanitarian conditions.

The fighting has forced thousands of civilians to flee conflict areas toward Ad-Damazin, the regional capital, in search of safety. The influx has placed additional pressure on shelters, water, food supplies and basic services.

Blue Nile has become increasingly sensitive as the war expands beyond its main fronts in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan. Fighting around border areas, including Kurmuk, Qeisan, Fazogli and nearby localities, has raised concerns over civilian displacement and the possible regionalization of the conflict.

The escalation also comes amid continued tensions along Sudan’s eastern and southeastern borders, with Sudanese authorities accusing external actors of supporting military activity against government forces. Neighboring states have denied involvement or have not publicly responded to some of the allegations.

The war between the SAF and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has increasingly involved drone attacks, mobile columns and shifting fronts, complicating humanitarian access and exposing civilians in remote areas to repeated displacement.