# Sudan's army claims capture of Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Sayala in North Kordofan, securing the Export Road to El Obeid; RSF denies losses
> Sudan's Armed Forces and allied groups said on July 26-27 they captured three towns in North Kordofan, including Bara, after fierce fighting, claiming 62 RSF vehicles destroyed and 54 seized; the Rapid Support Forces denied losing the areas and said fighting was still ongoing; the SAF says the advance secures a supply route to El Obeid, the state capital encircled for weeks

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-26 · heads: 什么崩了, 谁说了算 · 3 takes · 3 lenses · 3 regions

## Summary

Sudan's Armed Forces and a Joint Force of allied armed groups claimed on July 26-27 that they captured three towns, Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Sayala, in North Kordofan after what they described as carefully planned and fiercely fought operations. The SAF says it destroyed 62 Rapid Support Forces vehicles and seized 54 combat vehicles. The stated strategic prize is control of the Export Road, which the SAF says secures multiple supply routes into El Obeid, the state capital that has been [encircled and besieged for weeks](/zh/n/sudan-el-obeid-rsf-offensive). The [RSF](/zh/entity/rapid-support-forces) denied losing the towns, and Asharq al-Awsat reported that fighting was still ongoing with neither side in full control. Independent battlefield verification is not available.

## The split

The SAF's own statement, carried by AllAfrica, frames the Bara operation as a strategic breakthrough: the Export Road is now clear, El Obeid is no longer isolated, and the RSF has been denied a foothold. TRT Afrika amplifies the vehicle-count figures. Asharq al-Awsat, the pan-Arab newspaper closest to dual sourcing, includes the RSF denial and cautions that control is contested, reflecting the difficulty of verifying claims in a conflict where both sides routinely dispute territorial gains.

## By the numbers

- 3, towns claimed by SAF: Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh, Umm Sayala
- 62, RSF vehicles the SAF says were destroyed in the operation
- 54, combat vehicles the Joint Force says were seized
- 563,000, civilians reported trapped in El Obeid during the RSF encirclement as of June 23

## Why it matters

North Kordofan is a strategic corridor between the RSF's Darfur stronghold and the capital Khartoum. A SAF advance on Bara, if sustained, would tighten pressure on RSF supply lines and could open El Obeid for [humanitarian relief](/zh/n/sudan-famine-displacement-crisis) after weeks of siege. The battle also tests whether the SAF's counteroffensive capacity has grown after the RSF's rapid 2024-2025 advances. A contested outcome, as Asharq al-Awsat suggests, means the front line remains fluid and the fight for North Kordofan is not resolved.

## What to watch

- Independent confirmation of SAF control over Bara and the Export Road; both TRT Afrika and AllAfrica rely on SAF statements.
- Whether the RSF mounts a counter-attack to retake the towns or concedes the losses.
- The humanitarian effect on El Obeid: whether the claimed Export Road opening actually allows aid convoys to move into the city.
- RSF statements from Darfur on any redeployment toward Kordofan.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### pan-Arab moderate; presents both SAF and RSF claims
- **Asharq al-Awsat** (Saudi Arabia / London, en) — The most balanced report in the feed. Asharq al-Awsat documents both sides' claims: the SAF says it seized Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Sayala after fierce battles and claims heavy RSF losses and captured vehicles; the RSF denies losing control and says fighting is still ongoing; the outlet notes battlefield verification is impossible and that 'neither side had established full control.'
  > "The Sudanese army and allied armed groups on Sunday claimed to have recaptured the towns of Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh, and Umm Sayala in North Kordofan, while the Rapid Support Forces denied losing the areas."
  Source: https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5300407-sudanese-army-rsf-both-claim-gains-kordofan-fighting-continues

### relays SAF statement; Export Road and El Obeid supply route framing
- **AllAfrica / SAF statement** (Africa, en) — AllAfrica carries the SAF's own statement in detail: the army claims the capture of three towns gives it full control of the Export Road, secures supply routes to El Obeid, and prevents RSF from regaining any foothold in the area. The framing is SAF-favourable and emphasises the strategic significance for El Obeid's relief.
  > "The Sudanese Armed Forces says it has captured the towns of Bara, Jabra El Sheikh, and Um Sayala in North Kordofan, which gives it full control of the Export Road, secures several supply routes to the state capital of El Obeid."
  Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/202607270003.html

### Turkish state broadcaster's Africa desk; Joint Force communique angle
- **TRT Afrika** (Turkey / Africa, en) — TRT Afrika leads with the Joint Force communique, citing the SAF and allied units as claiming they destroyed 62 RSF vehicles and seized 54 combat vehicles in North Kordofan operations, placing these figures in a broader pattern of SAF counteroffensives in the state. The 'Joint Force' framing suggests SAF coordination with non-state allies.
  > "Joint Force says Sudanese army and allied units also seized 54 combat vehicles during operations in the strategic state of North Kordofan."
  Source: https://www.trtafrika.com/english/article/32741d605418

## Across the graph
- Related: [[sudan-el-obeid-rsf-offensive]], [[sudan-famine-displacement-crisis]], [[sudan-drone-surge-jun2026]]
- Entities: Sudan War, Rapid Support Forces, Sudanese Armed Forces, Sudan

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/zh/n/sudan-kordofan-bara-0726