Artillery of the Sudan Armed Forces are now in range of the rebel stronghold of Kauda and civilians have evacuated areas around Mendi, Angartu and Kara Jumous in the Nuba Mountains, following a government advance that began last week.
Sudanese government forces initially advanced on 6 January from Talodi to the town of Kega and began shelling SPLA-North positions in Angartu, according to Nuba Reports.
This was followed by an assault on SPLA-North positions at Angartu on 9 January, and a flanking attack to the north through Kara Jumous.
Citing eyewitnesses and SPLA-North sources, Nuba Reports says that government militia leading the flanking attack were defeated and driven back to Kega, but the main government attack drove SPLA-N forces out of Angartu and into the neighboring town of Mendi.
At least 41 SPLA-North soldiers were wounded in the day-long battle. Now in control of Angartu, Sudanese forces are just 20 kilometers east of Kauda.
The fighting in the Angartu area in the east of the Nuba Mountains coincided also with an attack from government forces stationed in Kadugli to the west. SPLA-N claims to have repelled the attack at Daloka and Um Serdiba.
File photo: Sudanese troops in Blue Nile State