KHARTOUM, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's army said on Thursday it has taken control of the strategic city of Bara in North Kordofan state after months of fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"The forces have entered the city of Bara ... and cleansed it," the army spokesman's office said in a statement, vowing to press on "step by step" until the country is rid of militias and mercenaries.

An eyewitness in Bara told Xinhua that the city had seen heavy battles since Wednesday morning, and that by midday Thursday the army had taken control of its main neighborhoods and key facilities.

Meanwhile, a military source said to Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the army encircled the city over several days, weakening the RSF's defensive lines and cutting off supplies, eventually forcing the paramilitary force to withdraw.

The RSF did not immediately comment.

Bara is seen as a strategic hub on the road linking El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, with several vital routes in the region. Fighting around the city has been intense in recent months, with control shifting between the two sides.

War between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF broke out in April 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions inside and outside Sudan, and deepened a humanitarian crisis in one of the world's poorest countries. ■