RSF and allies seize control of key military base outside Kurmuk

KHARTOUM — The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have seized control of a strategic military garrison at Al-Keili, located north of Kurmuk in Sudan’s Blue Nile State, forcing the Sudanese army to retreat further north.

Military officials, speaking to Sudans Post on Monday, confirmed that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have withdrawn to the town of Dindiro following the loss of the Al-Keili base on Saturday morning.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the army is now attempting to reorganize its defenses in Dindiro to prevent a further paramilitary push toward regional strongholds.

Visual evidence of the takeover was geolocated by Sudans Post, confirming the presence of RSF fighters and the seizure of military equipment at the garrison.

The units responsible for the capture of Al-Keili are believed to be the same forces that seized a Sudanese military garrison at Mugaja, northeast of the base, last month.

While the Sudanese army had successfully retaken Mugaja in a counter-offensive on Saturday, the RSF forces that were pushed out of that area managed to regroup and capture Al-Keili.

In a statement released following the capture, the RSF characterized the operation as a significant blow to government forces in the Blue Nile theater.

“The Taasis Alliance forces in the Blue Nile region have achieved qualitative victories, as our forces succeeded in breaking the backbone of the army of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group and inflicting heavy defeats on its elements and mercenaries, during decisive battles today, Saturday, which ended with full control over the strategic area of “Al-Keili” in Blue Nile State,” the RSF said in a statement on Saturday.

“Field units continue to advance steadily to clear the remaining pockets, amid a clear state of collapse and confusion within the ranks of the hostile militias. These advanced military operations and field victories represent an important shift in the theatre of operations and a strategic step moving confidently toward ending the dominance of terrorist groups and defeating their destructive project,” the statement added.

The Sudanese army has not yet issued a formal response to the fall of Al-Keili or the reported retreat to Dindiro.

The escalating violence in the Blue Nile region has raised concerns among humanitarian observers about the potential for further displacement as frontlines shift closer to major population centers.