Zalingei, October 20 (Darfur24)
Eyewitnesses and local sources in Zalingei, Central Darfur, reported on Monday that the city’s main market was completely closed by traders due to growing fears of drone attacks that struck several towns in Darfur on Sunday and Monday.
An eyewitness told Darfur24 that the food market was fully closed, while only limited sections of the vegetable market, butcher stalls, livestock market, and timber market remained partially open.
He said panic and fear continue to grip the population, with many residents worried that Zalingei could also be targeted, especially after the recent strikes on Saraf Omra and El Geneina.
Another witness reported limited civilian movement in the streets and said the Rapid Support Forces were concealing their military positions under trees inside the city.
On Sunday, the chief of the Mahadi tribe, Mohammed Hasaballah, and three members of his family were killed in a drone strike in the Abu Jadad area of Sirba locality, West Darfur. Another drone strike on the same day hit the West Darfur government headquarters, wounding the head of the civil administration, Tijani Karshom, and killing three of his guards.
A separate attack targeted the Saraf Omra market in North Darfur, injuring several civilians, destroying vehicles, and damaging nearby shops.
In August, a drone strike targeted the female student dormitories at Zalingei University, killing and injuring several students.
The Rapid Support Forces have controlled Zalingei since 2023, after brief clashes with the Sudanese army, which later withdrew to the Jebel Marra and Tina areas near the border with Chad.