Sudanese army regains control of 2 cities in Al-Jazira state

The Sudanese army announced Saturday that it had regained control of Al-Hasaheisa and Al-Rufaa in Al-Jazira State from the grip of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Anadolu Agency reports.

“Today, our forces, along with the Sudan Shield Forces led by Abu Aqla Keikel, managed to liberate the cities of Al-Rufaa and Al-Hasaheisa,” field commander Col. Al-Abadi Al-Tahir said in a video posted by the army on Facebook.

The army said in a statement that “army forces and the Sudan Shield Forces, under the leadership of Abu Aqla Keikel, are advancing in the Al-Hasaheisa and Al-Rufaa axes, inflicting heavy losses on the RSF militia and pursuing the fleeing remnants of the enemy.”

The offensive allowed the army to establish control over Al-Hasaheisa, the second-largest city in Al-Jazira State, located 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Wad Madani, the state capital, as well as Al-Rufaa, the largest city in eastern Al-Jazira State.

The army announced Jan. 11 its entry into Wad Madani, nearly one year after losing control of the city to the RSF.

Subsequently, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, admitted in an audio recording that his forces had lost control of Wad Madani.

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