The key facts

  • The army and the Joint Force announced the capture of Sarif Ankush and areas near El-Huweiti on Friday morning
  • The military reported downing a drone in the Dandro area of Blue Nile state, claiming it flew in from Ethiopia
  • El-Huweiti has been under RSF control since late May 2025; the army is seeking to retake the city

Offensive in Kordofan

Sudan's army and the allied Joint Force announced on Friday that, after fierce fighting with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), they had retaken Sarif Ankush and adjacent areas along the El-Huweiti axis in North Kordofan. According to the Joint Force, the operation began at dawn and inflicted heavy losses in personnel and equipment on the RSF; the commander of the RSF unit stationed in the area is claimed to have been killed. The military continues clearing operations and the pursuit of remaining RSF fighters.

Target — El-Huweiti

Military sources reported that the army captured several areas around El-Huweiti in West Kordofan and continues advancing toward the city, publishing footage of service members near Sarif Ankush. The RSF has not commented on these reports. El-Huweiti, an important trade hub on the border between North and West Kordofan, especially for livestock trade and gum arabic production, has been under RSF control since late May 2025, when the sides repeatedly changed control of the city. If the army retakes it, it will be the first city in West Kordofan captured during the current offensive. The day before, last Saturday, the army took Ayal Bahit to the northwest of the city. Fighting in North, West and South Kordofan has intensified since October 25.

Downed drone and accusations against Ethiopia

Separately, the army reported that its air defenses on Friday afternoon shot down a 'hostile strategic drone' in the Dandro area of Blue Nile state, which, according to the military, crossed the border from Ethiopia. The military did not name the drone's operator or its mission. On November 3, the army had already claimed a drone downed after flying in from Ethiopia. After attacks on power plants and other facilities in a number of Sudanese cities in October, the Sudanese government announced it had filed a complaint against Ethiopia with the UN Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council, accusing Addis Ababa of launching drones from its territory. The conflict between the army and the RSF has been ongoing since April 2023; according to UN estimates, it has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced about 13 million people.