Al-Junaynah, January 03 (Darfur24)
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Saturday that the Sudanese army carried out drone strikes on two towns in North Darfur State, killing more than 64 civilians, destroying Al-Zarq Hospital, and setting fire to the Ghurair market.
In a statement, the RSF said the attacks targeted the town of Al-Zarq, described as the hometown of the RSF commander’s family, which has been subjected to repeated aerial bombardment in recent periods.
According to the statement, the drone strikes hit the only hospital serving residents of the Al-Zarq area, forcing it out of service and causing civilian casualties, including among medical staff.
The RSF said the attack later extended to the Ghurair market during peak hours, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians, including women and children. The bombardment reportedly caused the market to burn down, while efforts are ongoing to assess the full number of victims and the scale of damage to residents’ livelihoods.
The RSF called on the international community and relevant organizations to take urgent action to protect civilians, launch an independent international investigation into the incident, and hold those responsible to account. It warned of a worsening humanitarian situation amid continued attacks on civilian and service facilities.
Sources told Darfur24 that those killed in the Ghurair market included two relatives of RSF commander Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”—Musa Saleh Dagalo and his son, Awad Musa Saleh Dagalo. The tribal leader Bashir Barma Baraka Allah was also reported killed in the bombing.