5 children killed by RSF fire in Sudan’s El-Fasher, army says

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Five children were killed in indiscriminate fire by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group in North Darfur in western Sudan, the army said on Thursday.

Four women were also injured in the attack that targeted several areas in El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State, according to a military statement.

The army said its forces launched a sweep operation in the city during which two RSF combat vehicles were seized.

Despite the killings, the army said the situation was stable in El-Fasher following the RSF attack.

There was no comment from the paramilitary group on the army statement.

El-Fasher serves as a humanitarian operations hub for the five Darfur states.

RSF-controlled areas have been shrinking rapidly in recent weeks as the army gained more ground in the capital Khartoum and other states.

The paramilitary group still controls four of Darfur’s five states, while northern and eastern Sudan remain largely unaffected by the fighting.

Sudan has been embroiled in a war between the army and the RSF since mid-April 2023, with over 20,000 people killed and 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. However, research from US universities estimates that the death toll is around 130,000.