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Blasts in Khartoum as Army Renews Call For Volunteers

Black smoke billows behind buildings amid ongoing fighting in Khartoum on June 9, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
Black smoke billows behind buildings amid ongoing fighting in Khartoum on June 9, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
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Blasts in Khartoum as Army Renews Call For Volunteers

Black smoke billows behind buildings amid ongoing fighting in Khartoum on June 9, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
Black smoke billows behind buildings amid ongoing fighting in Khartoum on June 9, 2023. (Photo by AFP)

Explosions again rocked Sudan's capital Khartoum on Monday as the army rallied civilians to take up arms against a renewed onslaught by its paramilitary foes.

The sound of artillery fire shook the dawn in northwest Khartoum and progressed towards the center and east of the city, witnesses told AFP.

The fighting "began at 4:00 am and is still going," one resident said.

The war-torn capital barely saw a few hours of respite after heavy clashes on Sunday between troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and those of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The army announced Monday it was ready to "receive and prepare" volunteer fighters, after Burhan last week urged Sudanese "youth and all those able to defend" to join the military.  

War-weary civilians have largely rejected the call, pleading for an end to the relentless war between Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.  

Apart from Khartoum, some of the worst fighting has been in the vast western region of Darfur, where late on Sunday RSF forces "attacked the military base" in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur.  

Since April 15, nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the violence. However, medics warn the death toll is likely to be much higher, with about two-thirds of health facilities in combat areas still "out of service".  

A further 2.2 million people have been displaced within the country, with another 645,000 fleeing across borders, according to the International Organization for Migration.  

Darfur is home to a quarter of Sudan's population and is still scarred by a two-decade war. Residents there as well as the United Nations, United States and others, say civilians have been targeted and killed for their ethnicity by the RSF and allied Arab militias.  

Darfur

The RSF has been accused of intentionally targeting civilians in Darfur, including by shooting people fleeing towards the Chadian border.  

The paramilitaries have also been identified as the main perpetrators of conflict-related sexual assault by survivors in both Darfur and Khartoum. 

According to the governmental Combating Violence Against Women and Children Unit, most of the 42 survivors in Khartoum -- and all of the 46 survivors in the Darfur cities of Nyala and El Geneina -- said they were assaulted by RSF fighters.  

Late on Sunday, the RSF announced it was cracking down on "looting and vandalism, particularly the theft of civilian cars".  

Since the conflict began, RSF fighters -- highly mobile and embedded in densely populated neighborhoods -- have been accused of widespread break-ins and looting.  

Residents have been forcibly evicted from their homes, had their vehicles stolen or learned after fleeing Khartoum that their homes were being used as bases.  

The force announced last week it had begun to try some of its "undisciplined" members.  

Children fleeing  

More than half of Sudan's population is now in need of aid, according to UN figures.  

In addition to food and water, people are "also in need of protection", the UN's Deputy Special Representative for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television on Sunday.  

She reiterated appeals "to both parties" to allow for supplies and personnel to enter the country and "move freely".  

Relief deliveries have been repeatedly looted and humanitarian workers attacked.  

The situation has been especially horrific in Darfur, a region the size of France where entire neighborhoods have been razed to the ground, cities besieged and bodies left to rot on the streets.  

Barely any humanitarian assistance has reached desperate civilians, as aid groups report their teams standing by in neighboring Chad, waiting for humanitarian corridors to open.  

Since April, more than 170,000 people have fled Darfur across the Chadian border, according to the UN refugee agency.  

"Thousands of families with children are fleeing the violence in West Darfur," according to Mandeep O'Brien, country representative for UNICEF which has reported hundreds of children killed in the fighting.  

The UN agency estimates that more than 13 million children are in "dire need" of humanitarian assistance.

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Arab World

Houthis Threaten ‘Gradual Escalation’ after Fourth Attack on Israel

Houthi gunmen during a rally in Sanaa called by their leader (AFP) 
Houthi gunmen during a rally in Sanaa called by their leader (AFP) 
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Houthis Threaten ‘Gradual Escalation’ after Fourth Attack on Israel

Houthi gunmen during a rally in Sanaa called by their leader (AFP) 
Houthi gunmen during a rally in Sanaa called by their leader (AFP) 

Yemen’s Houthi group has threatened “gradual escalation” after claiming a fourth attack on Israel, about a week after entering the war alongside Iran as part of the Tehran-led “axis of resistance.”

The move comes as Yemen’s internationally recognized government steps up rhetoric, saying a decisive battle to retake the state from Houthi control is nearing. Israel, for its part, said it is consulting Washington on how to respond to the Houthi attacks, despite their limited impact compared with sustained fire from Iran and Hezbollah.

In a televised statement late Thursday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group launched “a salvo of ballistic missiles” at “vital Israeli targets in the occupied Jaffa area.” He claimed the operation was carried out in coordination with Iran and Hezbollah and had “successfully achieved its objectives.”

The Houthis said their intervention in what they described as a “major and exceptional battle” would be incremental, adding they would adjust their actions depending on “the enemy’s escalation or de-escalation.”

The latest strike marks the fourth since the group announced direct involvement in the regional confrontation, underscoring growing coordination among Iran-backed actors, including Hezbollah and armed Iraqi factions.

Limited effect

The Houthis had claimed a third attack a day earlier. The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen “without casualties or damage,” adding early detection allowed it to neutralize the threat.

Analysts say such attacks are unlikely to do more than stretch Israel’s air defenses, already under pressure from multiple fronts, including Iran and Hezbollah.

In his first appearance since announcing the escalation, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the group had shifted from political and media backing of Iran to “direct operational engagement.”

He framed the attacks as part of “joint operations of the axis of resistance,” describing the confrontation as “a duty that transcends geographical borders.” He also defended joining the war, saying neutrality “is not an option,” despite growing concern inside Yemen over the economic and security risks.

Al-Houthi urged supporters to maintain weekly pro-Iran rallies and step up mobilization, including sending school students to summer camps—long used by the group for recruitment.

Government signals offensive

Tareq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said “the battle to end the Houthi coup is approaching,” adding national forces would act “as one team.”

State media reported his remarks during a visit to forces on Yemen’s west coast, where he praised troops as “a safety valve for the republic,” signaling confidence in their ability to regain the initiative.

Saleh also pointed to the regional dimension, saying Iranian actions against Gulf states and Jordan show Tehran’s project is “destructive” and “has never truly been directed at Israel.”

Rejecting Houthi claims, he said the group “pretends to confront Israel” while using that narrative to justify violence against Yemenis, noting the conflict with the Houthis dates back to 2004, well before current regional tensions.

 

 

Arab World

Fire Reported at Foreign Oil Companies' Storage Facilities in Iraq after Drone Strike

Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square in Baghdad on April 2, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square in Baghdad on April 2, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
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Fire Reported at Foreign Oil Companies' Storage Facilities in Iraq after Drone Strike

Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square in Baghdad on April 2, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square in Baghdad on April 2, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

A fire broke out ‌early ‌on Saturday at ‌storage ⁠facilities belonging to ⁠foreign ⁠oil ‌companies ‌west of Iraq's ‌Basra after ‌a ‌drone strike, security ⁠sources told Reuters.

Arab World

Israeli Forces Encircle Bint Jbeil in South Lebanon

A poster of a man and two children killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted their home in south Lebanon (AP) 
A poster of a man and two children killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted their home in south Lebanon (AP) 
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Israeli Forces Encircle Bint Jbeil in South Lebanon

A poster of a man and two children killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted their home in south Lebanon (AP) 
A poster of a man and two children killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted their home in south Lebanon (AP) 

Military developments are accelerating in south Lebanon as Israel steps up pressure through a mix of strikes, evacuation warnings and what analysts describe as a strategy of isolating border towns, with Bint Jbeil emerging as a primary focus.

The Israeli army on Friday warned residents on the northern outskirts of the nearby town of Ain Ebel to move further inside, in what appeared to be an effort to regroup civilians within designated areas.

Attention has centered on Bint Jbeil, where Israel appears to be avoiding a direct ground assault.

Retired Brigadier General Said Kozah told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israeli forces were “relying on a tactic of full encirclement rather than advancing directly into the town”.

He said troops were tightening a cordon along several axes — from Aitaroun and Aainata to the east and south, from Aita al-Shaab toward the outskirts of Haddatha in the north, and potentially from Ain Ebel in the west — effectively isolating Bint Jbeil on all sides.

Kozah noted that the evacuation of Salah Ghandour Hospital in the Saf al-Hawa area, a key junction linking the town to surrounding areas, pointed to an Israeli push to control supply and movement routes.

He added that Israel typically avoids combat in densely built areas due to the high cost, suggesting it may instead rely on heavy bombardment before any ground incursion.

“Bint Jbeil, with its prepared defenses, could become a costly war of attrition,” he stated, adding that a large-scale assault appeared unlikely in the immediate term.

Instead, he said, the likely scenario was continued encirclement, disruption of supply lines and clashes on the outskirts unless battlefield conditions shift.

Alongside developments in the south, Israel expanded pressure to Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee renewed warnings Friday, urging residents of Haret Hreik, Ghobeiry, Laylaki, Hadath, Burj al-Barajneh, Tahwitat al-Ghadir and Shiyah to evacuate immediately.

In the western Bekaa, Israel struck a bridge linking Sohmor and Mashghara over the Litani River after issuing prior warnings and calling on residents to move north of the Zahrani River.

An Israeli drone later struck worshippers leaving a mosque in Sohmor, killing two people and wounding 11 others, in a sign that strikes were extending to civilian gatherings.

Air strikes resumed on Beirut’s southern suburbs after two days of relative calm, while heavy bombardment continued across the south.

A house between Kafra and Srifa near a center run by the Islamic Health Authority was hit, burning an ambulance without causing injuries.

Strikes also hit Srifa, Braachit, Jouaiya, Borj Qalaouiyeh, Debaal, Ramadiyeh, Bustan, Yohmor al-Shaqif and Shaaitiyeh, with casualties reported, including among Syrians.

Additional strikes targeted Debbine and Srifa in the Tyre district, while intermittent artillery fire hit the outskirts of Haris and Kafra.

Drones were reported flying intensively over Hermel, the northern Bekaa, Beirut, Mount Lebanon and the southern suburbs as part of broad surveillance operations.

At dawn, Apache helicopters fired on the coastline from Bayyada to Mansouri, coinciding with clashes on the ground. Hezbollah fighters were reported to have attacked Israeli forces advancing toward the coastal road near Bayyada.

Overnight strikes hit Bint Jbeil, Hanine, Kounine and Tayri, while eastern Brachit came under artillery fire. Israeli forces also blew up remaining houses in Aita al-Shaab, with explosions heard as far as Tyre.

Separately, Lebanon’s National News Agency said three Indonesian soldiers serving with a UN peacekeeping unit were wounded at their base in Adaisseh by a shell, with the source under investigation.

Hezbollah said it fired rockets toward northern Israel, targeting Kiryat Shmona, troop positions at Honin barracks and military sites in Safed, as well as Metula and Kfar Yuval.

The group also said it detonated an explosive device against Israeli forces in Bayyada, causing casualties that required helicopter evacuation before the area was later shelled.