Army Says It Downed RSF Drones In North Kordofan

Bara, August 17, 2026 - Sudan's army said its air defences shot down two Rapid Support Forces drones in North Kordofan, underscoring the growing role of unmanned systems in the battle for the state's main transport corridors.

An army spokesman said one FH-95 drone was intercepted in the Jureijikh area and a second drone of the same model was brought down near Bara. The military said the interceptions raised its tally of RSF drones destroyed in the wider Kordofan region to seven.

The RSF has increased drone operations around Bara, Jabrat al-Sheikh and the export route to El Obeid, a strategic hub linking western Sudan with the capital region. The army previously regained significant stretches of North Kordofan, including parts of the export road, pushing RSF fighters toward areas farther west.

Control of the corridor is militarily and economically important because it helps shield El Obeid from the east and could restore overland links to Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum. Persistent drone threats add risk to logistics, commodity movement and future infrastructure rehabilitation in central Sudan.