Drone strikes on central Sudanese city kill up to 23: NGO

Drone strikes in the central Sudanese city of el-Obeid have resulted in casualties, with reports indicating up to 23 people killed and 19 wounded. The attacks, which occurred overnight, struck residential areas, a funeral gathering, and a food supply truck, according to the local rights group Emergency Lawyers. Health officials at el-Obeid Hospital reported 15 fatalities and over 10 injuries. Emergency Lawyers attributed the strikes to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), though the RSF has not yet claimed responsibility. This incident follows a recent drone strike in North Kordofan state that killed at least 11 people. Drone warfare has become a significant feature of the conflict that began in April 2023 between the military government and the RSF.

A drone strike on a funeral procession in el-Obeid, Sudan, has resulted in at least four deaths and several injuries, according to the Sudan Doctors Network and Emergency Lawyers. Both rights groups attribute the attack to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This incident is reportedly part of a series of drone strikes that began Wednesday evening, with Emergency Lawyers stating at least 23 people have died in total. The RSF has not yet commented on the allegations. El-Obeid, a city on the civil war's front line and currently held by the army, has also seen drone strikes on residential areas and near an army base, killing thirteen additional civilians. The ongoing conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

A drone strike on a market in Abu Zaeima, North Kordofan state, central Sudan, killed at least 11 people and injured dozens more, according to the rights group Emergency Lawyers. The attack occurred on Saturday, less than 24 hours after similar drone attacks in nearby villages and on a civilian vehicle. The group stated that the casualty figures may increase and did not specify who carried out the strike, with neither the army nor the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claiming responsibility. Emergency Lawyers condemned the repeated targeting of civilians, villages, and public transport, calling for an end to such attacks and accountability for those responsible. Separately, witnesses reported another drone hitting a fuel station in el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, where a medical source confirmed four wounded civilians were treated.