Full story
Bara corridor recaptured
Sudanese forces and allied units announced on Saturday that they had recaptured the city of Bara and strategic areas of Al-Baraka and Um Sayala in North Kordofan State after intense clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“The Sudanese army, on Saturday, launched intensive attacks from multiple fronts in North Kordofan state as part of military operations aimed at tightening the noose on the Rapid Support Forces, in parallel with announcing its control of the strategically important city of Umm Siyala, which may pave the way for a new advance toward the towns of Barra and Jabra al-Sheikh”
Joint Force spokesperson Mutawakil Ali Wakeel said the Sudanese army, the Joint Force, Qashan forces, and supporting troops had secured Al-Baraka, Um Sayala, Um Qurfa, Jabrat Al-Sheikh, and Bara, and military officials said 73 heavily armed RSF vehicles were destroyed during the clashes.
The operation was described as strengthening the military’s position around the state capital El Obeid and improving access toward Omdurman, with officials saying control of Um Sayala would provide a new supply route to El Obeid and reduce operational pressure on Khartoum and White Nile State.
Analysts cited in the report said securing the road corridor could help the army improve troop movements and logistics while limiting RSF operations along a critical transportation network.
Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minawi said on social media that "precise and coordinated operations" had broken through RSF defensive lines and inflicted heavy personnel and material losses.
Claims, quotes, and counterclaims
In a separate account, Sudan Horizon said the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their allies in the Joint Force announced they had recaptured Bara and other strategic locations in North Kordofan State including Jabrat Al-Sheikh and Umm Sayala after fighting against the RSF.
The report said the Ministry of Defence described the Bara axis advance as part of coordinated operations on multiple fronts, and it quoted Darfur Regional Governor Minni Arko Minawi saying the advances followed what he described as “high-quality and well-planned” military operations.
Sudan Horizon also reported that the Joint Force announced it had cleared the areas of Baraka, Umm Sayala, Umm Qarfa, Jabrat Al-Sheikh, and Bara of RSF fighters, claiming more than 73 heavily armed combat vehicles destroyed and additional vehicles captured intact.
Anadolu Ajansı reported that Minnawi said the army, Joint Forces and Popular Resistance had taken control of Bara, Umm Garfa, Umm Sayala and Jabra Al-Sheikh, adding, “What has been achieved today is not the end of the battle, but the beginning of a new phase of decisive action.”
Anadolu Ajansı also said neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF had issued an official statement on Minnawi’s claims or the reported territorial gains as of 1740 GMT.
El Obeid stakes and next steps
The reported gains were framed as having tactical and logistical stakes for El Obeid, with İlke Haber Ajansı saying control of Bara and Jabrat Al-Sheikh effectively shields El Obeid from eastern attacks and could pave the way for reopening a direct ground route to Omdurman if remaining RSF positions along the corridor are cleared.
İlke Haber Ajansı also said the capture of Um Sayala was considered particularly important because the town lies near the main export road linking North Kordofan to Omdurman, giving the military a new supply route to El Obeid.
The same report said the latest advances came as fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF continues across several regions including Kordofan, Darfur, and Khartoum, in a conflict that erupted in April 2023 and has displaced millions of people.
In parallel, Anadolu Ajansı reported that the advances came a day after Sudanese authorities said the army had regained control of the Burbur area south of El-Obeid following an RSF attack that killed 15 civilians and wounded seven others.
Anadolu Ajansı added that North Kordofan has witnessed intensified fighting in recent months while El-Obeid has come under repeated RSF drone attacks targeting the city’s main power station, fuel depots and other civilian sites.
