The key facts

  • The Sudanese army regained control of Kazgail and Abu Kaud in North Kordofan after battles with the RSF
  • The areas are located about 45 km south of El Obeid on the supply route to South Kordofan
  • According to the army, it has recaptured 11 areas of the state in recent weeks; the conflict in the three Kordofan states has been ongoing since October 2025

Army reports newly recaptured areas

The Sudanese army on Thursday regained control of two areas in North Kordofan state — Kazgail and Abu Kaud — after fierce battles with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), military sources told the Anadolu Agency. According to the sources, the army inflicted heavy losses on RSF fighters and destroyed dozens of the group's combat vehicles; soldiers also posted videos on social media that are claimed to show army forces in these areas. The report contains no independent confirmation of this information.

Why these areas matter

Kazgail and Abu Kaud are located about 45 km south of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, and lie on a supply route leading into South Kordofan state — this is precisely what gives them their strategic importance. The news continues a series of army announcements: on Tuesday it declared the recapture of the Umm Maraih area in the El Huwei locality of West Kordofan, situated on the border between the two states and linking the region's supply routes. According to the army, in recent weeks it has regained control of 11 areas of North Kordofan in total.

Context of the conflict

Fighting between the army and the RSF in the three Kordofan states — North, West and South — has been ongoing since October 2025, and the agency assesses that hostilities in the region are intensifying. The conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has raged across Sudan since April 2023; according to UN and international organizations' estimates, it has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced about 13 million people.