Sudan's army and its allied Joint Force announced on Friday that they had recaptured the strategic town of Al-Khuway in West Kordofan state. The recapture follows heavy fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The Joint Force, an alliance of former rebel movements from Darfur, said its troops had taken control of Al-Khuway and several other areas during military operations launched early on Friday.
Al-Khuway lies along road networks linking North and West Kordofan with parts of the Darfur region. These routes are crucial for military movements, supply operations, and commercial transportation. The town's recapture could strengthen the army's position in West Kordofan and improve its ability to advance towards areas under RSF control in Darfur. The surrounding region is also important for livestock trading and gum Arabic production.
The Joint Force spokesperson, Major Mutwakil Abu Ja, stated that the fighting had inflicted heavy losses on the RSF, including the killing of a commander leading its forces in the area. The force also claimed to have destroyed 20 RSF combat vehicles and seized another 40, along with military equipment. However, these claims could not be independently verified.
Darfur regional governor Minni Arko Minnawi welcomed the recapture of Al-Khuway, describing the town as strategically important for further military advances and the eventual return of displaced people. He said Al-Khuway's liberation is a route towards Umm Dafuq and the beginning of the return of refugees and displaced people to their homes.
Videos circulated on social media accounts affiliated with the army and the Joint Force showed soldiers and allied fighters at Al-Khuway police station and elsewhere in the area. The RSF could not immediately be reached for comment. The RSF had seized Al-Khuway in May 2025 following renewed fighting with the Sudanese army.
The fighting displaced thousands of households, with the International Organization for Migration reporting that 2,715 households were displaced from Al-Khuway town between May 29 and 30, 2025. Earlier on Friday, the army and the Joint Force also announced that they had recaptured Sarif Ankoush and surrounding areas following clashes with the RSF.
Separately, the Sudanese army said its air defences had shot down a drone over the Dandaro area of Blue Nile state on Friday afternoon. The military described the aircraft as a "hostile strategic drone" that had entered Sudanese airspace from neighbouring Ethiopia. Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF.
Key points
- The recapture of Al-Khuway could strengthen the army's position in West Kordofan and improve its ability to advance towards areas under RSF control in Darfur.
