NAIROBI
At least 20 people, including members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), were killed and dozens injured in airstrikes on the city of Nyala in Sudan’s South Darfur state, local media reported Tuesday.
The strikes hit several locations across the city late Monday, including a crowded night market and positions belonging to the RSF, Sudan Tribune reported, citing local sources and eyewitnesses.
A local source said at least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when airstrikes targeted two locations in Nyala.
One of the strikes hit the Tanguj Station night market in the Domaya area, where civilians and RSF recruits were reportedly present, resulting in heavy casualties.
Videos circulated by pro-RSF activists on social media purportedly showed bodies of RSF fighters killed in a drone strike on a gathering in Domaya.
Eyewitnesses said other strikes targeted the headquarters of the 16th Infantry Division, nearby positions and houses believed to belong to RSF commanders in the Al-Nahda, Al-Riyadh and Airport neighborhoods.
The attacks also reportedly hit a student housing complex belonging to Nyala University.
According to the report, the Sudanese army has intensified its air operations in Nyala over the past week, targeting RSF military positions, command facilities and air defense systems near Nyala International Airport.
Military sources said the operations were aimed at weakening the RSF’s defensive and offensive capabilities ahead of a possible ground offensive in Darfur and Kordofan.
There was no immediate comment from the Sudanese army or the RSF on the latest strikes.
Sudan has been engulfed in a conflict between the army and the RSF since April 2023, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.
The fighting has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with widespread food insecurity and famine reported in several parts of the country.
