At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured after drone attacks by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit the central city of El-Obeid overnight, health officials reported on Thursday.
The strikes mark an escalation in the use of unmanned aircraft in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
The attacks, which began late Wednesday, targeted multiple locations in El-Obeid, including areas near a military post, according to hospital officials. More than 10 people were wounded, some critically, reports AP/UNB.
Mohamed Elsheikh, spokesperson for the Sudan Doctors Network, said RSF drones also struck a funeral at a cemetery, killing four individuals, and hit a local gas station. It remains unclear whether the casualties were civilians, combatants, or both.
A Mercy Corps aid worker noted that drone strikes have intensified in recent days, disrupting daily life and prompting the closure of schools and the partial operation of local markets due to security concerns.
Emergency Lawyers, a local monitoring group, warned that the death toll could rise as drones continued to patrol the city. They reported residential buildings near the 5th Infantry Division headquarters were hit, along with a food supply truck, whose driver was killed.
The group described the strikes as part of a broader pattern of attacks on civilian areas, gatherings, and essential infrastructure, including during funerals and rescue operations, raising concerns over indiscriminate targeting.
Sudan’s conflict, which erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced roughly 13 million, and left millions facing famine, with over 30 million needing humanitarian aid.
Now in its fourth year, the war has left the SAF controlling much of northern, eastern, and central Sudan, while the RSF and allied groups hold most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan—regions rich in oil and gold.
Analysts and humanitarian organisations warn that drone warfare has emerged as one of the deadliest threats to civilians, with both sides reportedly receiving support from regional and international actors.
A recent rise in drone strikes in Kordofan has further hampered humanitarian relief efforts.
