The killing of a prominent Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood leader in a battle in South Kordofan state has revealed the pivotal role played by the battalions and militias of the Sudanese Islamic Movement (Muslim Brotherhood) in leading military operations in the war that broke out in 2023.
Aref Abdullah nicknamed “Abu Tamer,” was killed along with 21 second-tier leaders known as the “Mujahideen” the day before yesterday (Tuesday), in a loss that observers described as the heaviest suffered by the Islamic battalions in recent times.
The deceased was the commander of military operations for the “Al-Baraa bin Malik” battalion affiliated with the Sudanese Islamic Movement (the Brotherhood), and the de facto field commander of all battalions and militias linked to the Islamic Movement fighting alongside the Sudanese army.
He was killed in a battle in the Takma area, near the city of Dilling in South Kordofan state, during a clash with a group of Rapid Support Forces, while leading a military convoy named “Misk al-Khatam,” which included various Islamic and jihadist brigades participating in the fighting alongside the army against the Rapid Support Forces.
Official pages affiliated with the army’s war media, including the Sudanese Intelligence Service’s page, mourned the deceased, describing him as a “mujahideen commander” and a “martyr,” noting his movement between various battlefronts.
A military source in South Kordofan told Sky News Arabia that the deceased “is considered one of the most prominent Islamic field commanders; he assumed command of the Islamic battalions’ operations following the killing of Muhannad Fadl in August 2025 and was the de facto commander of all forces fighting in the Kordofan region.
“The source added that “it is not the army that is leading the battles against the Rapid Support Forces on the ground in Kordofan, but rather Islamist militias, while the army limits itself to providing intelligence and logistical support.”
Observers, activists, and witnesses from civil and political forces, backed by video testimonies from Sudanese army officers, believe that the war of April 15, 2023, was not a traditional military conflict, but rather a war ignited by the Sudanese Islamic Movement (the Brotherhood) to restore its influence and return to power through the use of arms.
