Nine Killed in Sudan’s El Obeid as RSF Drone Strikes Intensify

28 February 2026

A hall at Kordofan University, El Obeid, destroyed by RSF strike attack on Feb 28, 2026.

February 28, 2026 (EL OBEID) – At least nine people were killed and several others injured on Saturday when drone strikes hit El Obeid, the capital of Sudan’s North Kordofan State, local sources said.

The attacks destroyed consumer goods warehouses and an oil production factory in a significant escalation of aerial operations in the region.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have targeted the city with daily drone strikes over the past few weeks, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and service facilities.

The intensification of the strikes appears aimed at obstructing the Sudanese army’s westward advance toward the Darfur region and preventing the military from repositioning or reinforcing its deployment across the Kordofan states.

Local sources told Sudan Tribune that a swarm of “kamikaze” drones struck various parts of the city as the army attempted to intercept the attack.

Nine fatalities occurred when a drone struck a crowd of civilians who had gathered to inspect the site of an earlier bombardment at El Obeid’s main market.

The strikes hit the city’s commercial hub, destroying warehouses, retail shops, and automotive repair workshops. One of the city’s largest oil processing plants, owned by businessman Osman Abdel Latif, was also destroyed in the raid.

The aerial assault triggered several fires and caused significant material damage, sparking panic among residents.

The repeated targeting of El Obeid signals a potential surge in military activity in the Kordofan region. The Sudanese army has utilized the city as a primary operations hub for its western campaigns.

Recent field movements from the city allowed the army to break the RSF’s siege on the towns of Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan, marking a shift in the conflict’s trajectory in western Sudan.

Sudanese Army Evacuates Hundreds as Drone Strikes Intensify Near Ethiopian Border

28 February 2026

Displaced persons from Kurmuk arrive in Ed Damazin following drone attacks by the RDF and the SPLM-N on Feb 28, 2026-2

February 28, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – Sudanese army trucks evacuated hundreds of civilians from the strategic border town of Kurmuk on Saturday, as an escalation in drone strikes by paramilitary and rebel forces opened a volatile new front in the country’s internal conflict.

The displaced residents arrived in Ed Damazin, the capital of the Blue Nile region in Sudan’s far southeast, following two days of intensified aerial bombardment. Local officials reported that a combined force of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Joseph Touka, has been targeting residential neighbourhoods and infrastructure.

“The attacks forced citizens to flee toward Ed Damazin once again,” said Kurmuk Commissioner Abdel Ati al-Faki. He noted that approximately 80 families, totaling some 300 people, reached the capital on Saturday, joining nearly 1,900 others who have arrived over the past week.

The evacuation highlights the expanding geography of Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023. The Blue Nile region, which borders Ethiopia, had remained relatively stable until January, when the pace of fighting and drone strikes began to accelerate.

The RSF and its ally, the Touka faction of the SPLM-N—which is affiliated with the powerful Abdel Aziz al-Hilu movement in South Kordofan—are attempting to seize Kurmuk to control a vital corridor along the Ethiopian frontier.

The humanitarian situation for those fleeing remains precarious. Displaced families travelled roughly 150 kilometres (93 miles) along rugged, unpaved roads in army transport vehicles.

“The continuous flow of people is putting authorities under immense pressure,” said Ahmed Hussein, an official at the regional Ministry of Social Welfare. “There is an urgent need for shelter, food, and healthcare. Many are currently using local materials to build makeshift huts for protection from the sun.”

Regional Governor Ahmed Badi al-Umda condemned the strikes, stating that drones had hit a school in Geissan province and a power station in Kurmuk. He characterized the targeting of civilian infrastructure as a violation of international law.

Kurmuk and nearby Geissan have historically been focal points of Sudanese conflict. The towns were major battlegrounds for over two decades before the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended the war between Khartoum and the southern rebels led by John Garang. The current fighting marks a return to violence in a region that has changed hands multiple times since 1987.

Local authorities estimate that another 1,500 people remain stranded in Kurmuk, having previously fled fighting in the southern areas of Deim Mansour and Khor al-Boudi. Officials say these groups are currently seeking transportation to Ed Damazin as the frontline draws closer to the town centre.

South Sudan Faces Turmoil as Former Officials Arrested in Wave of Detentions

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir attends the swearing-in ceremony for Kenya’s new president William Ruto, at Kasarani stadium in Nairobi, Kenya on Sept. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)

By JOSEPH FALZETTA and DENG MACHOL

11:55 AM EST, February 28, 2026

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — A former South Sudan finance minister is the latest former government official arrested in a wave of detentions that analysts say shows cracks in the government of President Salva Kiir, who also faces an armed rebellion.

The latest arrest came Friday when Bak Barnaba Chol was taken into custody while attempting to cross the border into Uganda. His arrest followed that of another former minister of finance and planning, Marial Dongrin Ater, who was fired in August.

In the past week, a former central bank governor, a former undersecretary for the ministry of petroleum, and a general in the domestic intelligence agency previously posted to the same ministry have been detained.

The exact reasons for the arrests remain unclear.

Government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told local media outlet Eye Radio that the arrests were “not political” and were a “direct response to irregularities identified within the monetary system.” He said that a committee was investigating “financial malpractices.”

Edmund Yakani, a prominent civic leader, said Saturday that the mood in Juba was tense among politicians fearing detention. “So far, these arrests have mostly targeted financial institutions, but if the arrests carry into the security sectors it will be very dangerous,” he said.

Daniel Akech of the International Crisis Group said the arrests showed a narrowing of the president’s “big tent” coalition, which he has relied on for years to maintain control of a fractured political landscape.

The war in Sudan is hurting South Sudan’s economy, which is overwhelmingly dependent on oil exports. All of South Sudan’s oil flows through pipelines in Sudan.

Since the South Sudan war began in 2023, pipeline ruptures have at times put more than 60% of oil production offline. The World Bank estimates that South Sudan’s economy shrunk 24% in 2025.

In 2024, the International Crisis Group warned that the disruption of oil production could lead to much wider political violence as Kiir runs out of petrodollars “to keep South Sudan’s rivalrous generals and warlords on his side.”

The regime is already facing an armed rebellion. Opposition leader Riek Machar is under house arrest and on trial for alleged subversion, charges he denies. Many of his allies have since been arrested or purged from the government. Kiir suspended Machar as his deputy in September after Machar faced criminal charges.

Machar’s removal coincided with a sharp increase in violence. The U.N. estimates that thousands were killed in 2025 and 280,000 people have been displaced since December.

A U.N. inquiry has found that South Sudan’s leaders are “systematically dismantling” the 2018 peace agreement, signed to end a civil war and return Machar to a unity government with Kiir. Washington is urging peace talks again.

___

Falzetta reported from Nairobi, Kenya.

Iranian Armed Forces to Pulverize US Bases Across the Region: Pezeshkian

Sunday, 01 March 2026 2:53 PM

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. (File photo)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that the country will not hesitate to destroy the military bases of the enemies in the region following a US-Israeli attack that assassinated Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

In a televised message released on Sunday, Pezeshkian said that the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei will not dent the resolve of the Iranian military to respond to US and Israeli aggression.

“The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are also prepared with strength to take action to pulverize the enemies' bases, and will continue to be so. They will disappoint the enemies, as they always have,” he said.

The president said that the US and Israel will gain nothing but “shame” from assassinating Ayatollah Khamenei.

He said that a three-member council tasked with facilitating the transition to Iran’s next leader had begun convening, adding that the body would follow the path of the martyred Leader “with strength.”

“Based on Article 111 of the Constitution, the Provisional Leadership Council has commenced its work today and, by the grace of God, will powerfully continue the path of the late Imam (Khomeini) and the dear martyred Leader, as well as the path of all truth-seekers in the world,” Pezeshkian said.

The message came a day after the US and Israel started a new round of aerial aggression on Iran, some eight months after they launched unprovoked attacks on the country. Both attacks came while Tehran was engaged in diplomatic talks with Washington over its nuclear program.

Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the Saturday strikes by launching barrages of missiles and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases across the region.

Iranians Rally Countrywide to Mourn Leader’s Martyrdom in US-Israeli Aggression

Sunday, 01 March 2026 11:52 AM

Iranians gather at Tehran’s Enqelab Square on March 1, 2026, to mourn the martyrdom of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in terrorist US-Israeli aerial assaults. (Photo by Tasnim news agency)

Iranians across the country took to the streets on Sunday to mourn the martyrdom of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in terrorist American-Israeli aerial assaults.

In the capital Tehran, tens of thousands gathered at Tehran’s iconic Enqelab Square, carrying pictures and placards of the Leader as well as the national flag.

The mourners chanted slogans, such as “Down with the US” and “Down with Israel.”

They reiterated their support for the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, underlining the need for maintaining national unity and treading on the path of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Earlier in the day, the Iranian government declared 40 days of mourning and 7 days of public holidays over the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei.

The government expressed condolences to the Iranian nation over the tragedy, saying the crime will not go unanswered and will "mark a new chapter in the Islamic and Shia history.”

On Saturday morning, the United States and the Israeli regime launched a coordinated act of aggression against Iran, targeting dozens of cities in blatant violation of international law.

At least 201 people were killed and 747 other injured in the illegal airstrikes, according to an announcement by the Iranian Red Crescent Society on Saturday evening.

More acts of aggression were committed on Sunday in Tehran and many other provinces.

In response, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has so far launched multiple large-scale waves of retaliatory strikes against military targets across the occupied territories, including Tel Aviv, Haifa and other cities, forcing settlers to slip underground.

They have also targeted American occupation bases in the Persian Gulf region, including Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, the UAE and other countries.

Iran had previously warned these countries not to allow the American aggressor use their territory for any act of aggression against the Iranian nation.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution and many senior Iranian military commanders, including the chief of the defense staff and the IRGC commander, were martyred in Saturday's aggression.

Ali Laijani, Iran's top security official, has vowed that the country will make the Israeli regime and the United States regret their deadly acts of aggression on Saturday.

“We will make the Zionist criminals and the vile Americans regret their actions,” Larijani wrote in the social media post.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also strongly denounced the assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, vowing that the country's armed forces will deliver such painful retaliatory blows that the enemies will beg for mercy.

“We will take revenge on the Americans and Israelis. You have crossed our red line. We will strike you with such terrible blows that you will beg for mercy,” Qalibaf said in a televised speech on Sunday.

Assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei ‘Open War against Muslims’: Pezeshkian

Sunday, 01 March 2026 12:48 PM

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in this file photo.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, is a declaration of an “open war” against Muslims, particularly Shias, across the world.

In a message on Sunday, Pezeshkian expressed his deep condolences over the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, the great commander of the Islamic Ummah, at the hands of “the most wicked of oppressors”.

“This occurrence is the biggest test for today’s Muslim world,” he said.

“The assassination of the highest political figure of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a prominent religious authority of the Shia world by the vicious American-Zionist axis is considered a declaration of an open war against Muslims, especially Shias, across the globe,” he added.

The president emphasized that Iran steadfastly followed the path of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, under the wise guidance and leadership of the martyred Grand Ayatollah Khamenei for 37 years, and has become a “center” for fighting arrogance and seeking independence.

He said Ayatollah Khamenei was a “great and divine” leader who bestowed integrity and honor upon the Iranian nation and was a thorn in the side of the enemies of Islam and Iran.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran regards seeking retribution and taking revenge from the perpetrators and instigators of this historic crime as its legitimate duty and right and will make use of its utmost power to fulfill this big responsibility,” Pezeshkian said.

He wished for increasing synergy and coherence among Iranian officials and people to materialize the high ideals of the Islamic Revolution and promote justice and freedom in the country.

Ayatollah Khamenei was martyred in a terrorist attack by the Israeli regime and the United States on Saturday. The government cabinet on Sunday declared 40 days of public mourning and seven days of holidays following the Leader’s martyrdom.

IRGC Strikes USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier with Volley of Ballistic Missiles

Sunday, 01 March 2026 3:05 PM

USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. (File photo)

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has targeted the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles.

In its seventh statement on Operation True Promise 4, which was launched immediately after the latest Israeli-American aggression against the Islamic Republic on Saturday, the IRGC’s public relations office announced on Sunday that the attack was carried out as part of ongoing operations against American and Israeli enemy targets.

According to the statement, the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was targeted by four ballistic missiles successfully.

The IRGC added that the Iranian armed forces have entered a new phase of operations and warned that both land and sea would become a “graveyard for the aggressors.”

Further information about the operation will be released later, the statement said.

The aircraft carrier, which has been deployed as part of a massive US military buildup in the region, was targeted on the second day of a joint US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.

The Iranian armed forces began to swiftly retaliate against the aggression by launching barrages of missiles and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases across the region.

Iran had previously warned the Persian Gulf countries not to allow their soil to be used in any act of aggression against the country.

According to Iran's Red Crescent Society, more than 200 people have been killed in the enemy strikes so far, including more than 100 children, who were killed in an attack on an elementary school in the southern province of Hormozgan.

IRGC Launches Largest Barrage of Missile Strikes at Israeli Occupied Territories

Sunday, 01 March 2026 1:35 PM

Israeli police officers and paramedics at the scene of an Iranian missile impact in Beit Shemesh on March 1, 2026. (Social media)

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced the largest wave of retaliatory attacks against the Israeli-occupied territories on the second day of the joint US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic. 

In a brief statement on Sunday, the IRGC said it has launched the seventh and eighth waves of Operation True Promise 4 as it vowed to take revenge for the blood of the martyrs, including IRGC chief commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour.

“With the grace of God, we will avenge the blood of the martyrs and defend the security, national interests and territorial integrity of the country,” the statement read.

The Israeli army radio reported that at least 38 missiles were fired from Iran toward the occupied territories. It described the operation as the largest wave of attacks by Iran.

The United States and the Israeli regime launched a surprise act of aggression against Iran early on Saturday as Tehran and Washington were engaged in indirect nuclear talks.

The residence of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was struck in the first salvo of the aggression, leading to his martyrdom and that of several members of his household.

The Iranian armed forces began pounding strategic sites deep in the occupied territories and Israeli and American interests across the region with ballistic missiles and drones as part of Operation True Promise 4.

Iran’s Army Commander Brigadier General Amir Hatami vowed on Sunday that the counterstrikes will continue until “the enemy receives a decisive response and is put in its place.”