Lead

Drone strikes blamed on paramilitary forces shook the Sudanese flashpoint of El-Obeid on Monday, July 27, 2026, hours after the army regained control of the city’s highway to the capital, Khartoum. The strikes caused significant damage to local buildings but no casualties were reported, according to an AFP reporter on the scene.

Coverage Comparison

The Hindu reported that drone strikes hit El-Obeid on July 27, 2026, and attributed them to paramilitary forces. The same report noted that the Sudanese Army regained control of the highway to Khartoum, also known as the Al Sadarat highway, which links Khartoum to El Obeid. Al Jazeera’s coverage focused on the army’s statement that it regained full control of the highway, describing El-Obeid as a city under siege by the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

While both outlets confirmed the army’s success on the highway, The Hindu placed greater emphasis on the broader humanitarian and military context, including the RSF’s amassing around El-Obeid and the conflict’s toll. Al Jazeera’s report was brief and factual, prioritizing the army’s claim without additional context.

The Hindu’s coverage attributed the drone strikes to the RSF, while also noting that both forces have conducted drone strikes in the region. The report described the RSF as attempting to encircle El-Obeid ahead of an apparent large-scale assault, a detail not included in Al Jazeera’s brief update.

Key Claims

  • Drone strikes hit El-Obeid on July 27, 2026; the strikes were blamed on paramilitary forces, as reported by The Hindu.
  • The Sudanese Army regained control of the Al Sadarat highway linking Khartoum to El Obeid, a claim carried by both Al Jazeera and The Hindu.
  • The Rapid Support Forces have amassed troops around El-Obeid, attempting to encircle it ahead of an apparent large-scale assault, according to The Hindu.
  • Over 1,000 people have been killed in Kordofan due to drone strikes by both forces since the start of the year, according to a UN figure cited by The Hindu.
  • The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF has killed more than 200,000 people since April 2023, an estimate from aid workers reported by The Hindu.
  • Over 33 million people are in need of humanitarian aid due to the war, as reported by The Hindu.

Context

The strikes came after a days-long advance by the Sudanese Army across North Kordofan state. On Sunday, July 26, 2026, the army managed to push the RSF west off the 400-kilometre highway that connects Khartoum with the Kordofan region’s largest city, according to two army sources who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, as reported by The Hindu. The highway’s strategic importance is underscored by its role as a key crossroads: its north-south axis runs from Khartoum through Kordofan to the southern border, while its east-west axis connects RSF strongholds in Darfur to army-controlled central and eastern Sudan.

The UN has for weeks warned of a repeat of atrocities committed during the conflict, as RSF forces mobilise around El-Obeid, The Hindu reported. The war, which began in April 2023, has created the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises, with the UN reporting over 33 million people in need of humanitarian aid.