Sudanese army-aligned forces say they repelled two successive Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks in the Bir Saliba region of West Darfur in early August, claiming the destruction of more than 38 RSF combat vehicles and the seizure of 27 others, as fighting moves closer to el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.
Sudan's military and allied forces report gains against RSF in Darfur's Bir Saliba region
Sudanese army-aligned forces say they repelled two successive Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks in the Bir Saliba region of West Darfur in early August, claiming the destruction of more than 38 RSF combat vehicles and the seizure of 27 others, as fighting moves closer to el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.
Bir Saliba lies approximately 30 kilometres north of el-Geneina and sits at a network of roads linking the state capital with northwestern areas including Jebel Moon and Kulbus, according to West Darfur Governor General Bahr al-Din Adam Karama.
The Joint Force of the Armed Struggle Movements — a coalition of former Darfur rebel groups that signed the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement and now fights alongside the Sudanese army — thwarted an RSF attempt to encircle Bir Saliba, according to Darfur Regional Governor Minni Arko Minnawi. One RSF contingent advanced from north of Kulbus while another moved from the Sileia area in the Jebel Moon region before launching what Minnawi described as a large-scale attack on Joint Force positions.
Minnawi also announced the death of Major General Mahdi Adam, known as 'Jebel Moon,' described as one of the RSF's most prominent field commanders. The RSF had not officially confirmed his death at the time of reporting.
Government-backed forces have also moved to cut RSF supply lines by seizing border crossings and desert routes along the Chad border. Air strikes on a convoy near the Chad border further targeted what Major General Othman Siraj described as a key RSF supply route.
In North Kordofan state, the RSF has increased its use of drones following the army's recapture on July 27 of a strategic route linking Omdurman and el-Obeid, which had served as a major RSF supply artery.
The International Organization for Migration reported that recent fighting displaced more than 6,650 people from 11 villages in the Sirba region. The United Nations estimates that more than 13 million people have been displaced since the conflict between the military and the RSF began in April 2023.
The RSF and allied groups have established a rival administration called the Tasis government, in opposition to the Sudanese government based in Port Sudan.
- Independent verification of battlefield casualty and vehicle figures claimed by government-aligned forces is not established in the source.
- The RSF's account of events, its own assessment of losses, or any confirmation or denial of Major General Mahdi Adam's death is absent.
- The total number of RSF or Joint Force personnel killed or wounded in the engagements is not reported.
- The current precise territorial extent of RSF and army control in West Darfur is not detailed.
- No independent humanitarian or monitoring organization has assessed or verified the reported military developments described.
- The source does not detail the scale or capabilities of the RSF's Tasis rival administration beyond its existence.
Read the original at Al Jazeera English