Al-Sunut, February 17 (Darfur24)
At least 26 displaced people, including women and children, were killed and 15 others injured early Monday in a drone strike that hit a displacement camp in Al-Sunut, West Kordofan State, according to eyewitnesses and local sources.
The strike is widely believed by residents to have been carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces.
The camp hosts families who fled fighting in the town of Dbeibah and nearby villages. Witness Bakheet Mohamed told Darfur24 that the drone struck buildings used by displaced families near a veterinary clinic around 1:00 a.m., triggering panic as residents scattered in search of safety. He said additional strikes followed as groups attempted to flee toward nearby low-lying areas and buildings, resulting in further casualties.
According to Mohamed, many victims belonged to the same extended families. Residents struggled to move the injured and recover bodies during the night because the aircraft was still heard overhead, forcing families to conduct emergency burials near the site under extremely difficult conditions. He added that the lack of medical capacity complicated rescue efforts and identification of victims.
For his part, Alaa El-Din Awad Naqd, spokesperson for the Sudanese Founding Alliance, said the strike targeted a shelter housing displaced civilians inside the veterinary facility, reporting a slightly higher toll that included women and children among the dead.
Darfur24 was not able to independently verify the casualty figures. Residents say the incident has deepened fears among displaced families already living in precarious humanitarian conditions.