Daijiworld Media Network - El Fasher

El Fasher, Oct 2: A deadly drone attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has claimed the lives of eight civilians and injured several others in El Fasher, a city in western Sudan, as the brutal conflict between Sudanese military factions escalates.

According to local volunteers and eyewitness accounts, the strike targeted a civilian gathering in the Al-Daraja Al-Oula neighbourhood. “Militia attacks using artillery and drones on residential areas persist. A drone strike today hit civilians in Al-Daraja Al-Oula, killing eight and injuring many,” said the Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher, a grassroots volunteer group, in a statement released Wednesday.

An eyewitness told that five people were killed on the spot, while three others died from their injuries after being transported to the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher. At least 12 others were being treated for injuries at the facility.

As fighting intensifies in the region, the 6th Infantry Division of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced on Wednesday that its troops had ambushed an RSF unit attempting to infiltrate the city. The army claimed to have neutralized a significant number of RSF fighters, including foreign mercenaries and individuals identified as drone and electronic warfare engineers.

Footage released by army-linked media appeared to show the bodies of RSF fighters in southern El Fasher, though the RSF has yet to respond publicly to the latest developments.

El Fasher has seen continuous armed clashes between the RSF and SAF since May 10, 2024, with the frequency and intensity of attacks escalating sharply in recent weeks.

Sudan has been mired in a devastating civil conflict since April 2023, when a power struggle between the SAF and RSF erupted into full-scale war. The violence has led to the deaths of tens of thousands and displaced millions of people, both within Sudan and into neighbouring countries, exacerbating what is now one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

With both sides locked in a prolonged and increasingly destructive conflict, civilian populations remain the primary victims, as strikes on residential areas and urban centres become alarmingly routine.