The Rapid Support Forces announced on Saturday that they had taken full control of the strategic city of Bara in North Kordofan after intense battles with the Sudanese army.

In a statement, the RSF said it launched a “multi-pronged operation” that routed government forces and inflicted heavy losses.

Bara’s location on the key route connecting Khartoum to the Kordofan states gives the RSF a major logistical and military advantage amid the ongoing conflict.