El Daein, Nov. 22(Darfur 24) There were conflicting reports about the death toll of the air strike carried out by Sudanese Armed Forces warplanes on Tuesday, on the city of El Daein, the capital of East Darfur state, hours after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the army 20th infantry Division in the city.
The journalist present in the city of Al-Daein, Abu Bakr Al-Sandali, told Darfur 24 that the bombing resulted in the killing of about 40 residents and the wounding others, stating that the warplane dropped explosive barrels in one of the city’s neighborhoods, which led to a large number of civilian deaths, including 7 women.
RSF commander in East Darfur, Brigadier General Hassan Saleh Nahar, announced from within the command of the 20th Infantry Division that his forces had taken control of the army command in the city following the withdrawal of soldiers and officers of the armed force.
Immediately after the seizure of the 20th infantry Division, RDF Commander, Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, issued a degree appointing Brigadier General Nahar as commander of the 20th Division and entrusting him with the task of maintaining security and stability in the state.
Meanwhile, the second commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General Abdul Rahim Dagalo, arrived in the city of Al Daein and addressed the RSF soldiers , saying, “The Rapid Support Forces bear their full responsibilities in securing and protecting all the cities they control.”
At a time when the authorities in Al Daein locality announced the opening of the city’s markets starting today, Wednesday, the Security Committee, in coordination with the Civil Administration and the Committee for Combating Negative Phenomena, decided to prevent cars and motorcycles carrying armed men, as well as people carrying weapons, from entering the markets.
Community leader in East Darfur, Abdel-Rahman Jaboura, said that the situation in Al-Daein has returned to stability, but he hinted at the citizens’ fear that the armed forces’ warplanes would return to bombing the city.