El-Obeid, January 31 (Darfur24)
The death toll from a suicide drone attack on the city of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, has risen to 11, including civilians and military personnel, in addition to several wounded, a military source told Darfur24.
According to the source, the attack was carried out on Friday morning using a swarm of suicide drones that targeted the land port and a police headquarters inside the city.
Earlier, multiple local sources told Darfur24 that the drone strikes hit several parts of El Obeid, including the city center, the vicinity of the Social Security Hospital, and eastern neighborhoods, causing fear and panic among residents.
A military source in the Kordofan operations room said the Sudanese army intercepted more than 10 suicide drones launched toward the city, adding that air-defense units managed to shoot down more than five drones, while others struck residential areas.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attacks began at around 7:30 a.m., with the sound of anti-aircraft fire heard across the city, prompting the closure of several shops in the main market amid fears of further strikes.
El Obeid hosts the operations center of the Sudanese army and joint forces in the Kordofan sector. Meanwhile, the Rapid Support Forces are attempting to impose a siege on the strategic city, as the army seeks to expand its control in the region, which has witnessed sustained fighting for several months.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in intense fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, with drones increasingly used in attacks on both civilian and military targets across areas controlled by both sides.