Battle of Barah
| First and second battles of Barah | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Sudanese civil war (2023-present) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Rapid Support Forces | Sudanese Armed Forces | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
Dozens killed 32 military vehicles destroyed 10 other captured[2] |
500 killed 45 vehicles destroyed (according to RSF) | ||||||
| 51 civilians killed[3] | |||||||
The Battle of Barah, was the March 2026 initial recapture of Barah, North Kordofan, during the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) from the RSF by the SAF, before the RSF seized control of the town again after 10 days of its recapture by the SAF.
Background
On February 15, the SAF destroyed an air defense system of the RSF in Abu Zabad area of the region. The system was a Chinese short-range model FB-10, designed to take down low-altitude targets, such as drones, helicopters, and aircraft flying at low altitudes. Because of this, the SAF could freely conduct airstrikes on Barah.
Before the SAF's assault on the town, the Sudanese Air Force had carried out airstrikes on the town, inflicting significant casualties among RSF's lines.[4] These attacks were followed by a surprise assault on RSF's positions in north El Obeid from Dankoj, before they expelled the RSF from Barah.[2][5][4]
Battle
SAF initial recapture
On March 5, the SAF expelled the RSF from Barah following a military operation, this operation resulted in the loss of dozens of RSF soldiers and the destruction of 32 military vehicles and the capture of 10 others.[2][5][4] Barah's recapture was strategically critical, as the town was a launch point for RSF's drones on El Obeid. Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced from Barah, as control over the town have shifted rapidly.[3]
RSF recapture
On March 16, Barah was seized by the RSF once again, just after 10 days of SAF's recapture. This was the third time of power shifting in Barah since April 2023. The RSF have deployed dozens of combat vehicles, drones, and artillery in its recapture of the town, forcing the SAF to retreat to the town of al-Dankoj. The RSF have claimed that it killed 500 SAF soldiers and captured 45 vehicles, though, Reuters was unable to verify these claims.
References
- ^ "SAF confirms loss of Bara as fighting escalates across Sudan". dabangasudan.org.
- ^ a b c "Sudanese army retakes Bara, secures el-Obeid in North Kordofan". aljazeera.com.
- ^ a b "Sudan army retakes Bara as Kordofan clashes kill 51 civilians". dailysabah.com.
- ^ a b c "Sudanese Army Recaptures Bara: How Far Will It Shift the Balance of Power in North Kordofan?". alestiklal.net.
- ^ a b "Sudanese Army Retakes Bara, Secures El-Obeid in North Kordofan". ictj.org.