An attack on the Sudanese town of Umm Arda killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, a local NGO said, attributing the bloodshed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Earlier in the day, the RSF claimed to have taken control of the town in the flashpoint Kordofan region, describing it as “a significant shift in field operations”, reports AFP.
“The Rapid Support Forces attacked the Umm Arda area on Friday, southwest of El Obeid,” the NGO Emergency Lawyers said.
The attack resulted in “the killing of more than 14 civilians and the wounding of dozens, while the area is witnessing a wave of displacement of civilians”, it said.
A source within the Sudanese army told that the army had repelled two attacks carried out in the Umm Arda and Jabal al-Hashaba areas, “inflicting losses” on the RSF.
It was unable to independently verify the details or outcome of the fighting due to difficulties accessing the area and disruptions to communication networks.
Emergency Lawyers, a rights group that has documented atrocities by both sides in the war, warned of “the worsening of the humanitarian catastrophe in areas already suffering from a siege and a lack of basic services”.
Humanitarian aid has also been suspended in several areas, the group added.
Save the Children said on Friday that approximately 40,000 children had fled to El Obeid to escape fighting in North Kordofan.
The organisation reported a “significant increase in cases of child malnutrition” and “severe food shortages” in two camps where it supports displaced people.
A water shortage is compounding the crisis, Save the Children said, adding that “some families spend nearly half of their day searching for water”.
The war, now in its fourth year, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
The army holds sway in Sudan’s central and eastern regions, while the Darfur region in the west and parts of the south are under RSF control.
