Drone Strike Kills 11 in Central Sudan Market

Drone Strike in Sudan’s North Kordofan State Kills at Least 11 People

A drone strike on Saturday targeted a market in Abu Zaeima, a paramilitary-controlled town in North Kordofan state, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 people. According to Emergency Lawyers, dozens more were injured in the attack.

The incident occurred less than 24 hours after similar drone strikes hit nearby villages and a civilian vehicle. The group documented abuses since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Emergency Lawyers stated that the casualty figures could rise, but did not specify who carried out the attack. Neither side has claimed responsibility for the strike.

The group condemned the attack, stating that repeated targeting of civilians, villages, and public transport reflected a disregard for human life and international humanitarian law principles. They called for an end to such attacks and accountability for those responsible.

Another drone hit a fuel station in el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, later on Saturday. A medical source reported that four wounded civilians were brought to a hospital there. Nearly 70 people were killed in two separate drone strikes in West and North Kordofan states over the past week.

Drone warfare has become increasingly common in Sudan’s conflict. The United Nations reported at least 880 civilians killed in drone strikes nationwide between January and April. Since October, fighting has intensified in Kordofan and Blue Nile State near the Ethiopian border, resulting in over 300,000 people fleeing front-line areas.

The region of North Kordofan is strategically significant, linking RSF strongholds to the country’s army-controlled east. The conflict, now entering its fourth year, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced nearly 13 million others, creating a humanitarian crisis.

Source: Al Jazeera