September 3, El Fasher — Fourteen people were killed and 36 injured after airstrikes launched by the Sudanese army hit Millet in North Darfur on Monday, a source at Mellit Rural Hospital told Darfur24.
Among the victims were nine women and three children. There were critical cases requiring urgent surgery but there is a lack of medical resources in the area.
The city of Mellit is the most important commercial outlet between Sudan and Libya. It remains one of the most active markets in the Darfur and Kordofan regions since the war broke out last year.
Mohamed Adel, lawyer and human rights activist, said that the strikes hit the bread market next to the city’s grand mosque, damaging many shops and killing livestock. He said approximately six shells had been dropped across the market and neighborhoods.
Other eyewitnesses told Darfur24 that three Sukhoi planes participated in the bombings, and Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) anti-aircraft guns responded in an attempt to shoot them down. The RSF took control of the city of Mellit last April after fierce battles with the joint force of armed movements.
The strikes on Monday came after the RSF launched a wave of arrests in the area, the Sudan Tribune reported. The RSF arrested more than 30 people, including traders and members of an emergency committee, accusing them of collaborating with the army and providing coordinates for the air strikes.
Today’s raid is the third in ten days and the eighth this year. The raids last Saturday morning left 11 dead, nine injured, and many homes destroyed.