Khartoum, Nov 24 (IANS): At least 15 civilians were killed and 20 others injured in an artillery attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in western Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF's) 6th Infantry Division said Sunday.

The RSF militia attacked the Naivasha market in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur State, "with three howitzer artillery shells on Saturday evening," the division said in a statement.

The division accused the RSF of systematically targeting civilians via shelling markets and gathering areas.

The RSF has not yet commented on the alleged attack.

Since May 10, violent clashes have been raging in El Fasher between the SAF and the RSF, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023. According to the most recent update by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, the deadly conflict has resulted in more than 27,120 deaths.

The conflict has also displaced over 14 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to the latest estimates by the International Organization for Migration.