The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces also asserted that they had taken control of the military’s principal facility, the 17th Infantry Division Headquarters, in Singa.

Fighters belonging to Sudan’s notorious paramilitary group have launched an assault on homes and seized control of the main hospital in a central city, prompting tens of thousands to flee, residents reported. This marks a new front in a 14-month conflict that has brought Sudan to the brink of famine.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces initiated their offensive against Sudan's military in Sennar province earlier this week, starting with an attack on the village of Jebal Moya before advancing to the provincial capital of Singa, where fresh fighting has erupted.

According to residents and a local rights group, RSF fighters in pickup trucks armed with automatic rifles rampaged through Singa, located about 350 kilometers southeast of Khartoum, over the weekend. They alleged widespread looting of houses, shops in the local market, and the takeover of the city’s main hospital.

RSF claimed on Saturday to have captured the military’s main facility, the 17th Infantry Division Headquarters, in Singa, but the Sudanese armed forces later asserted they had regained control. Fighting reportedly continued into Sunday morning, though independent verification of these claims was not available.

Since the conflict began in April last year, the RSF has been accused of severe human rights violations across Sudan, exacerbating a crisis that has claimed more than 14,000 lives and left 33,000 wounded, according to the United Nations. The RSF’s seizure of Singa is expected to have significant humanitarian consequences, potentially disrupting large-scale agricultural programs in nearby provinces that were once Sudan's breadbasket.

The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have reported that clashes in Singa and surrounding areas displaced approximately 55,440 people, with ongoing concerns about the safety and well-being of civilians caught in the conflict.