2 civilians killed in RSF drone strike on Sudan’s Kordofan: Medics

KHARTOUM, Sudan / ISTANBUL

Two civilians were killed Saturday in a drone strike carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Dilling, a city in Sudan’s South Kordofan region, the Sudan Doctors Network said.

In a statement, the network said the drone was operated by the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N), and struck the Fath al-Rahman neighborhood.

The attack killed a woman and a man and wounded several other civilians, the network said, without providing an exact number of injured.

Describing the strike as a clear violation of international calls to protect civilians, the group condemned what it called the “deliberate targeting of noncombatants” and held both the RSF and SPLM-N responsible for the incident.

The network urged the international community, the US and human rights organizations to pressure the two groups to lift the siege on Dilling, halt attacks on civilians, allow unhindered humanitarian access and ensure accountability for violations.

Neither the RSF nor the SPLM-N had commented on the report at the time of publication. Sudanese authorities, along with local and regional organizations, have previously accused both groups of abuses against civilians.

Dilling has remained under siege by the RSF and SPLM-N since the early months of the conflict that erupted more than two years ago and has been repeatedly hit by artillery shelling and drone attacks.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks across the three Kordofan states, where clashes between the army and the RSF have forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Of Sudan’s 18 states, the RSF controls all five states in the western Darfur region, except for parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. The army holds most areas of the remaining 13 states across the south, north, east and center of the country, including the capital, Khartoum.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed thousands of people and displaced millions.