Sudanese joint forces repel fresh RSF attack on South Kordofan’s twon

January 10, 2024 (DILLING) – A combined force of the Sudanese army and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), under the leadership of Abdelaziz al-Hilu, thwarted an offensive launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against the city of Dilling in South Kordofan.

According to a military source in the second town of South Kordofan, “The army and SPLA-N forces repelled the third attack in four days on Dilling carried out by the RSF and their allied militias.”

The official Sudanese government spokesperson issued a statement highlighting the joint forces’ valour in repelling the attack. “The Sudanese Armed Forces, the police, the General Intelligence Service, and the SPLA-N Al-Hilu, succeeded in repelling an attack launched by the Janjaweed militia on Dilling today at 1:00 pm,” the statement read.

The spokesperson emphasized that the joint forces seized vehicles and destroyed others, inflicting heavy losses on the RSF. “The attacking force retreated, leaving behind their dead and wounded,” the statement added.

Social media platforms were abuzz with videos and images capturing the aftermath of the attack. Footage showed hundreds of women and children fleeing the city amidst the sounds of shelling and gunfire.

Activists shared videos of numerous Dilling residents rallying in support of the military, while others depicted captured RSF vehicles and fallen RSF fighters scattered across city streets.

Journalist Rawya Dhalman, currently in Dilling, provided detailed accounts of the attack. She reported that armed clashes erupted on Wednesday afternoon as RSF vehicles and motorcycles infiltrated Dilling from the south.

Dhalman described the intense battles that unfolded in the heart of the city, involving the utilization of various weaponry. She also noted that Sudanese warplanes engaged in the conflict, bombing a retreating RSF convoy near Dilling.

Dhalman estimated that eight RSF combat vehicles were seized by the army, in addition to 13 others by the People’s Army. She also observed the destruction of more than five vehicles. The death toll in the city remains undetermined.

(ST)