KHARTOUM, Sudan
The Sudanese army on Monday said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed seven civilians in artillery shelling on El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan.
A military statement said RSF shelling that began late Sunday targeted residential neighborhoods, killing seven people — including two women and children — and wounding at least 15 others who were taken to hospitals.
The RSF has not yet commented on the Sudanese army’s claims.
On Sunday, the army also said RSF shelling in the city killed nine people.
El-Fasher has witnessed intense fighting between the Sudanese army and RSF since May 2024, despite international warnings about the risks of violence in a city that serves as a key humanitarian hub for the five Darfur states.
The RSF and the army have been locked in a brutal power struggle since April 2023, resulting in thousands of deaths and pushing Sudan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
More than 20,000 people have been killed and 15 million displaced, according to UN and local figures. However, US-based researchers estimate the actual death toll to be as high as 130,000.
