Rapid Support Forces renew assault on al-Obeid as mass grave with 25 bodies found in Sudan

The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have renewed their assault on the strategic city of al-Obeid and launched widespread drone strikes across Sudan, including Khartoum and Atbara, following recent territorial losses. Meanwhile, in southeastern Blue Nile State, the Sudanese army discovered a mass grave in Kurmuk containing at least 25 bodies, including women and children. Local officials accuse the RSF of executing these victims during their occupation of the town. The escalating conflict has killed an estimated 40,000 people and displaced over 14 million.

RSF assault on al-Obeid

• ▪The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces renewed its assault on the strategically important city of al-Obeid in the Kordofan region on August 12, 2026.
• ▪The Rapid Support Forces had previously paused its assault on al-Obeid under international pressure, but both the Sudanese army and the paramilitary force recently amassed more forces in the Kordofan region.
• ▪The city of al-Obeid was targeted by eight drones on August 12, 2026, triggering army air defenses and resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries.

Drone strikes across Sudan

• ▪The Rapid Support Forces launched explosive drone attacks on the town of Kurmuk for a second consecutive day around August 11, 2026.
• ▪Drones struck Khartoum and Atbara on August 12, 2026, marking the first drone strikes in those cities since May 2026.
• ▪A drone crashed through a mosque's courtyard in the Bahri neighborhood of Khartoum in the early morning of August 12, 2026.

Mass grave in Kurmuk

• ▪Sudanese armed forces discovered a mass grave containing at least 25 bodies in the northeastern part of the town of Kurmuk in the southeastern Blue Nile State.
• ▪The mass grave in Kurmuk was discovered by the Sudanese army during sweeping operations a month after the army regained control of the area.
• ▪The Kurmuk mass grave included the remains of children, women, and hospital staff who local officials accuse the Rapid Support Forces of executing near Jebel Fankat.

Army territorial gains

• ▪The Rapid Support Forces claimed to have captured the town of Geissan in Blue Nile State on August 11, 2026, while the local government accused the force of attacking local farmers.
• ▪Sudanese armed forces reportedly repelled Rapid Support Forces attacks in Bir Saliba, located approximately 40 kilometers from the city of el-Geneina in West Darfur.
• ▪The Sudanese army has made territorial gains in recent months, including advances in the Kordofan region, southeastern Blue Nile State, and West Darfur State.

Humanitarian crisis impact

• ▪The conflict in Sudan has killed an estimated 40,000 people according to the World Health Organization and forced more than 14 million people to flee their homes.
• ▪A long-running Rapid Support Forces campaign and siege of al-Obeid has decimated the city's power, fuel, food, and water supplies, threatening a severe humanitarian crisis.
• ▪The city of al-Obeid contains an estimated 500,000 inhabitants, including approximately 100,000 people previously displaced by the conflict.

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