RSF drone strikes kill senior Sudanese army officers in South Kordofan

KADUGLI — Several senior Sudanese army officers were killed on Saturday and Monday when drones operated by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck the town of Abugubaiha, security sources and residents said, widening the 18-month-old war to new fronts in the embattled state of South Kordofan.

The attacks, which began on Saturday and continued into Monday, hit military installations and nearby neighborhoods.

South Kordofan’s main towns, including the state capital Kadugli, remain under the control of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) but have been encircled for more than two years by the RSF and fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

Much of the rest of the state is held by the SPLM-N or a joint RSF-allied force.

Residents said the first wave of drone strikes on Saturday targeted the headquarters of a joint force of Darfur armed movements stationed inside the East Kordofan University compound in Abugubaiha.

“The drones hit early in the morning; explosions shook the entire city,” said a resident speaking on condition of anonymity. The source said the strikes targeted the joint force’s base inside the university, damaging buildings and causing casualties.

The strikes resumed on Monday, hitting the army’s 10th Infantry Division headquarters, military sources said. The division’s air defence systems failed to intercept the drones.

Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the attacks killed Major Ali Haidar, the division’s intelligence chief, and Major Al-Sadiq Abdullah, its legal adviser. Two soldiers were also killed.

“The drones destroyed part of the command post and killed several senior officers instantly,” one of the officials said, adding that damage was severe.

A second security source gave a similar account, saying air defence systems were overwhelmed and that the drones appeared to operate with “precise coordinates.”

The local security source said military intelligence believed a local resident had provided the RSF with coordinates for the strikes. The army has launched a manhunt for a man identified in the reports as an alleged collaborator, the source said.

Following the strikes, security forces closed the main road leading to the division’s base and set up checkpoints, a resident said, asking not to be named for safety reasons.

A regional coalition, the Call of South Kordofan / Nuba Mountains and Abyei, issued a statement on Monday condemning the attacks and accusing the RSF of coordinating with the SPLM-North faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.

The statement said drone and artillery assaults on the towns of Dilling, Dalami and Abugubaiha had killed civilians and forced hundreds of families to flee. It also accused the United Arab Emirates of supporting the RSF, an allegation the UAE has previously denied.

The attacks highlight the RSF’s growing operational reach into South Kordofan. Humanitarian organisations have yet to release casualty figures, but local volunteers said dozens of families had fled the area.

The RSF could not immediately be reached for comment. The Sudanese Armed Forces had not issued an official statement on the attacks by Tuesday evening.