Sudanese army recaptures Khartoum Airport and surrounds RSF stronghold

The Sudanese army announced on Wednesday that it had recaptured Khartoum airport from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), securing the facility.

Military sources also revealed that troops had surrounded the RSF’s last major stronghold in the Khartoum area, the Jebel Awliya region, from multiple directions. Since the conflict began in April 2023, the army and RSF have been engaged in intense fighting, with the army launching a campaign this week to push RSF fighters out of central Khartoum, following a significant victory in retaking the presidential palace on Friday.

The RSF had held the airport, located just east of the central government district, since the war started. In addition, the army secured both sides of Manshiya bridge over the Blue Nile, leaving Jebel Awliya bridge, just south of the capital, as the last RSF-controlled crossing. Eyewitnesses and activists reported this week that RSF fighters were retreating southward, likely heading towards Jebel Awliya.

The Jebel Awliya bridge is the only remaining route to the west, connecting to RSF strongholds in western Darfur. The ongoing conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced over 12 million people, and caused widespread hunger, making it one of the world’s most devastating crises.