Editing Justice and Equality Movement (section)

===2008–2013 Khartoum attack and continued battles===
In May 2008, JEM engaged in its most famous operation against the Sudanese government when it [[2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum|attacked the Sudanese capital of Khartoum]]. JEM's advance recorded many impressive gains which included temporarily controlling the city of [[Omdurman]], the airport at the Wadi Sayedna military base, {{convert|10|mi|km}} north of Khartoum, and three bridges leading into the capital.<ref name="Bloomfield">Steve Bloomfield, The Independent, Darfur rebels poised to take Khartoum, 11 May 2008</ref>  The operation ended with heavy battles in the western part of the Sudanese capital that included the government's use of army helicopters to repel the JEM advance.<ref name="Bloomfield" />  Following this battle, [[Eltahir Elfaki]], the General Secretary of JEM's legislative council, vowed that the war would henceforth be fought across the country, saying that "We haven't changed our tactics. From the beginning, Jem is a national movement and it has a national agenda."<ref>[http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/51DF8D2C-009B-4262-BCC2-C59F07219ABB.htm "Sudan 'repulses' rebel attack"], Al Jazeera, May 11, 2008.</ref> [[Khalil Ibrahim]] declared that "This is just the start of a process and the end is the termination of this regime".<ref>[http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A0C807C2-F75E-4E95-8BFD-F1BFE716CD77.htm "Sudan leader 'terrified' by arrest"], Al Jazeera, May 13, 2008.</ref>

In April 2013, JEM and its allies in the [[Sudan Revolutionary Front]] engaged in many successful attacks against Sudanese government forces.  In a raid coordinated between all the parties of the SRF that included the use of 20 vehicles, the opposition forces briefly held the strategic city of Um Rawaba in [[North Kordofan]], located {{convert|300|mi|km}} south of Khartoum.<ref>Reuters, Sudan rebels attack city, push closer to capital, 27 April 2013</ref> As part of the offensive, JEM and the SRF also gained control of Abu Korshola, a strategic town of 40,000 in  [[South Kordofan]].<ref>Reuters, Sudan's army seizes back town from rebels in oil state, 27 May 2013</ref> In its bid to retake control, the Sudanese Armed Forces engaged in indiscriminate air raid campaigns.<ref>Enough Project, Civilians Caught in the Crossfire: The Bombing of Abu Kershola and Ad Dandour, 10 June 2013, [http://enoughproject.org/reports/civilians-caught-crossfire-bombing-abu-kershola-and-ad-dandour]</ref> On May 27, the opposition forces withdrew in order to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to the area's residents.<ref>Reuters, Sudan's army seizes back town from rebels in oil state, 27 May 2013 [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-fighting-idUSBRE94Q0G320130527]</ref> During 2013, opposition forces continued to engage in offensive operations, leading to dozens of casualties for Sudanese forces around Abu Korshola.<ref>Radio Dabanga, 'SRF kill 14 Sudan government troops in blitz on Abu Karshola, South Kordofan': Rebels, 9 June 2013, {{cite web |url=http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/51227 |title='SRF kill 14 Sudan government troops in blitz on Abu Karshola, South Kordofan': Rebels &#124; Radio Dabanga |access-date=2014-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215223854/https://www.radiodabanga.org/node/51227 |archive-date=2013-12-15 }}</ref><ref>Radio Dabanga, Sudan rebel attack on Abu Karshola 'kills 30 SAF, downs chopper', 31 May 2013 {{cite web |url=http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/50550 |title=Sudan rebel attack on Abu Karshola 'kills 30 SAF, downs chopper' – Bashir fails to show &#124; Radio Dabanga |access-date=2014-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215223317/https://www.radiodabanga.org/node/50550 |archive-date=2013-12-15 }}</ref>