KHARTOUM, Sudan / ANKARA
At least 41 more civilians were killed and scores injured in artillery shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan, the Sudanese army said on Tuesday.
A military statement said that women and children were among the victims in the attack that targeted residential neighborhoods in the city Monday night.
The army said its forces managed to repel the RSF attack on the city, killing 600 militants and destroying 25 military vehicles.
There was no comment from the rebel group on the military statement.
Fighting has raged on between army forces and RSF militants in El-Fasher since Monday, forcing the charity-kitchens in the city to halt its food distributions to civilians.
El-Fasher has seen deadly clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF since May 2024, despite international warnings over the risks of fighting in the city, which serves as a hub for humanitarian operations in all five Darfur states.
Earlier this month, the RSF claimed to have seized control of the Zamzam refugee camp in the city after clashes with army forces. At least 400 civilians were killed, and nearly 400,000 were displaced due to the fighting, according to UN figures.
Since April 15, 2023, the RSF has been battling the Sudanese army for control of the country, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
More than 20,000 people have been killed so far, and 15 million others displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.
