Sudanese Army Intercepts Drones Amid Intensified Kordofan Fighting

Sudan's army announced Saturday that its air defenses intercepted drones launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeting Omdurman, a city adjacent to Khartoum. This incident occurs amid escalating combat on multiple fronts, notably near the strategic cities of Kurmuk and Al Obeid in North Kordofan.

Military sources reported that "several drones" fired by the RSF at positions in northern and western Omdurman were successfully intercepted without causing casualties or damage. The army is currently attempting to retake Kurmuk, which is controlled by the RSF and serves as a vital border corridor to South Sudan. Khartoum has accused Ethiopia of allowing paramilitary drones to be launched from its territory.

“

several drones were intercepted by the Army's defenses, without causing victims or damage.

Al Obeid, a key logistical hub in central-south Sudan, connects Khartoum to the Darfur region and hosts the Sudanese Army's 5th Infantry Division. The airport there is crucial for UN missions. The intensified fighting around Al Obeid raises concerns about potential atrocities, mirroring those that occurred in Al Fasher last year. The city has been under siege by the RSF for 18 months.

“

Al Obeid may become the center of a new humanitarian catastrophe.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned on Friday that Al Obeid could become the center of a new humanitarian catastrophe, citing an increase in drone attacks on markets, schools, and water infrastructure. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also reported a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Kordofan, which hosts approximately one million internally displaced persons. The IOM noted that over 219,000 people have been displaced from the region since October 2025 due to the ongoing conflict.

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths, according to U.S. figures, and forced around 14 million people to flee their homes, making Sudan the site of the world's worst displacement and hunger crisis, as per the UN.

“

the humanitarian crisis and fighting in Kordofan continue to force families to abandon their homes and that 'more than 219,000 people have been displaced since October 2025'.