Kordofan/Um Dukhun, April 17 (Darfur24)
Dozens of civilians were killed and others injured in separate drone strikes targeting populated areas in North Kordofan and the border town of Um Dukhun, amid growing concerns over escalating attacks on civilian sites.
In North Kordofan, four civilians, including a woman, were killed on Thursday after a drone strike hit a market in the Hamra al-Sheikh area, according to the “Emergency Lawyers” group. The group condemned the attack, describing it as part of a recurring pattern of targeting markets and densely populated civilian areas, in violation of international humanitarian law.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, dozens of civilians were killed in Um Dukhun, near the borders with Chad and the Central African Republic, following a drone strike believed to have been carried out by the Sudanese army, according to eyewitnesses and local sources.
A medical source at Umm Dukhun Hospital told Darfur24 that the attack killed an entire family of six, in addition to more than 10 other civilians whose bodies were severely burned and remain unidentified. Dozens of people were injured, some of whom were transferred to Nyala for treatment.
Eyewitnesses said the drone fired more than seven missiles, targeting multiple locations within the town, including residential neighborhoods, the popular market, the fuel market, and sites linked to the Rapid Support Forces. The strikes caused widespread destruction, with bodies scattered in markets and dozens of homes burned.
Sources also reported that the drone targeted a convoy belonging to the “Negative Phenomena Force,” killing several members, including two field commanders.
These incidents come amid a surge in drone attacks across Darfur and Kordofan in recent months. Earlier this week, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said nearly 700 civilians had been killed in Sudan over the past three months due to drone strikes.
Human rights groups have called for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and for accountability for those responsible, warning of the worsening humanitarian consequences of continued aerial bombardment.