Drone strikes rock Sudan’s El-Obeid after Army secures highway
Sudanese Army forces have regained control of a key highway connecting Khartoum to El-Obeid following intense clashes with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Despite this tactical gain, the city remains under threat from ongoing drone strikes attributed to the paramilitary group.
Why it matters
The conflict in Sudan has created the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis, with the battle for strategic crossroads like El-Obeid threatening to escalate into further humanitarian atrocities.
Drone strikes blamed on paramilitary forces shook the Sudanese flashpoint of El-Obeid on Monday (July 27, 2026), hours after the Army regained control of the city’s highway to the capital, Khartoum.
The Army’s rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has for months amassed troops around El-Obeid, attempting to encircle it ahead of an apparent large-scale assault.
Following a days-long advance across North Kordofan state, the Sudanese Army on Sunday (July 26, 2026) managed to push the RSF west off the 400-kilometre (250-mile) highway that connects Khartoum with the embattled Kordofan region’s largest city, two army sources told AFP on Monday (July 27, 2026) on condition of anonymity.
Drone strikes were reported on the city at dawn, with local officials attributing them to the RSF.
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