ED DAMAZIN – The Sudanese army said on Saturday it had repelled an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) forces in the eastern sector of Blue Nile, destroying military vehicles and equipment and forcing the attacking forces to retreat.
The army’s 4th Infantry Division said the fighting took place on Oct. 3 in the areas of Menza and Bashkarkad, where government troops and allied forces confronted what the division described as hostile movements.
The division said the operation inflicted personnel and equipment losses and prevented the attacking forces from advancing toward government positions.
It did not provide casualty figures or specify the number of vehicles and other equipment it said were destroyed. The battlefield claims could not be independently verified.
The army said its forces were reinforcing positions and securing the eastern sector while continuing to monitor military developments.
Fighting in Blue Nile has intensified this year after the RSF allied with SPLM-N forces operating under Joseph Tuka in the region. The allied forces have seized Kurmuk and Geisan, along Sudan’s border with Ethiopia, as well as several military positions, prompting the army to send additional reinforcements to the region.
In September, the army reported repeated clashes with the allied forces around areas southeast of Ed Damazin, including Al-Kaili, and said its forces had destroyed combat vehicles and intercepted drones during separate operations.
The 4th Infantry Division also said in May that it had repelled an attack on the Amouri area near Geisan, describing the fighting as an attempt to disrupt supply routes in the eastern sector.
The conflict has triggered large-scale displacement across Blue Nile. The International Organization for Migration estimated that 99,277 people were displaced from locations across the region between Jan. 11 and Aug. 23, including 39,570 from Geisan, 32,515 from Kurmuk and 27,192 from Baw.
Blue Nile has strategic importance because it borders Ethiopia and South Sudan and contains the Roseires Dam and other critical infrastructure. Much of the recent fighting has been concentrated in eastern and southern areas close to the borders.
The latest fighting came a day after Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Tayeb, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, ordered troops to raise their readiness for further operations against the RSF-SPLM-N alliance.
