The Sudanese Armed Forces said it recaptured 11 areas in North Kordofan following intense fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
The Army said government troops and allied forces regained Kajmar, Sharshar, Al-Baniyah Al-Kurayniyah, Al-Qulay’at, Awlad Hazmah, Magwildat, Rayshan, Al-Qaa, Ghabat Al-Laqad, Al-Kukaiti and areas surrounding Al-Mazrub.
According to the military, its forces inflicted heavy losses on the RSF and pursued retreating fighters towards the Darfur border. The RSF did not immediately respond, and the battlefield claims could not be independently verified.
The advance followed drone strikes launched on Wednesday, September 16, against RSF positions and reinforcement routes across North and West Kordofan. The operation centres on the Forty Days Road, a strategic desert corridor connecting Kordofan and Darfur. The army hopes to open a route towards Darfur and disrupt supply lines previously used by the RSF to move fighters and equipment towards Khartoum.
The military had captured Bara, Jabrat al-Sheikh and other transit points in late June 2026, forcing RSF units westwards towards Sodari.