Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed at least five civilians in a drone strike that hit a vehicle on the outskirts of Khartoum on Saturday, according to rights group Emergency Lawyers.
The attack targeted a civilian vehicle travelling from White Nile state toward Omdurman, striking it on the Jammouiya Triangle road in southern Omdurman and killing all those on board, the group said. It described the incident as part of a pattern of targeting civilians on public roads and in populated areas, calling it a “brazen violation of international humanitarian law.”
The strike marks the second such drone attack in the capital region in a week, following an earlier hit on a hospital in the Jebel Awliya area. While Khartoum was largely spared RSF attacks after being recaptured by the Sudanese Armed Forces last year, recent weeks have seen sporadic strikes.
Drone warfare by both the Sudanese army and the RSF has intensified in recent months, sometimes causing mass casualties. The RSF had previously focused strikes on military sites and infrastructure, but recent incidents have raised concerns over civilian targeting.
Fighting in the conflict, now in its fourth year, has shifted largely to regions including Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile state, with violence spreading toward border areas near Ethiopia. Despite a period of relative calm in the capital that saw some displaced residents return and limited services resume, large parts of Khartoum remain without electricity or basic infrastructure.
The war, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people, with some estimates exceeding 200,000, and displaced millions, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Independent conflict monitor Armed Conflict Location & Event Data has reported at least 59,000 deaths, though aid groups say the true toll is likely far higher due to limited access to conflict zones.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)