El FASHER – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced late Wednesday that its Sixth Infantry Division in North Darfur successfully repelled a new infiltration attempt by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the southern sector of El Fasher. According to military officials, the confrontation resulted in the destruction of several RSF vehicles and significant casualties among the attack force.
In an official statement, the Sixth Infantry Division said its troops “foiled a fresh evening attempt by the RSF to breach army positions in the southern axis of El Fasher,” adding that the army remains in full control of the situation.
Military field correspondent Sergeant Major Asia Al-Khalifa Gubla, who is attached to the division, reported that the Sudanese forces destroyed one “Sarsar” combat vehicle and two double-cabin pickup trucks belonging to the RSF. She added that dozens of RSF fighters were “neutralized” in both the southern and northern fronts of the city.
“The enemy’s attempt was decisively contained, and our forces are maintaining their positions with high morale and coordination,” Gubla said in a statement released by the division’s media office.
The SAF also dismissed a video circulated by the RSF on Wednesday claiming to show the downing of an SAF drone. The SAF said its investigation confirmed the drone actually belonged to the RSF and had crashed earlier during an operation. “The footage was recorded and published by the militia to boost the morale of its fighters through false propaganda,” the statement read.
The SAF reaffirmed that “the situation in El Fasher remains under control” and that its units “hold the initiative and operate in full coordination across all fronts.”
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has been at the center of intense fighting for more than a year as both the SAF and the RSF battle for control of the strategic city. The clashes have displaced tens of thousands of civilians and worsened already dire humanitarian conditions in the region.
Despite repeated claims of control by both sides, fighting continues around the city’s southern and western outskirts, where both the RSF and SAF maintain heavily fortified positions. The conflict has also led to the near-collapse of essential services, with hospitals, markets, and aid operations struggling to function amid ongoing shelling and airstrikes.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that continued hostilities in El Fasher, one of the few remaining cities still partially under army control in Darfur, could trigger a new wave of displacement across the region.
The RSF has not issued an immediate response to the army’s latest claims, but the paramilitary group has in recent weeks released multiple videos claiming territorial gains in North Darfur and other regions. Independent verification of battlefield reports remains extremely difficult due to restricted access and disrupted communication networks across Darfur.
