August 21, El Daein — Hundreds of stores in El Daein City Market and various parts of the city were looted Tuesday, as Sudanese army aircrafts struck the capital of East Darfur State, which was widely believed to be the stronghold of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 

Al-Hajj Muhammad, a trader in El Daein Grand Market, told Darfur24 that traders ran away from their stores after hearing the sounds of heavy explosions, leaving them open. They were then looted. 

The Sudanese army’s military aircraft bombed El Daein Teaching Hospital and a site near the police station, killing and wounding dozens of civilians. Muawia Issa, a medic working at a center near El Daein teaching hospital, told Darfur24 that patients and medics evacuated the hospital after it was bombed. 

Since last October the RSF have taken control of East Darfur State, in addition to the states of South, Central and West Darfur. They have deployed thousands of its fighters in El Fasher in an attempt to capture the capital of North Darfur State — the only stronghold of the Sudanese army and its allies.