Dilling, January 02 – Darfur24
At least 70 people, including children, were killed in a drone attack on the city of Dilling in South Kordofan State, according to local volunteers, in one of the deadliest strikes on the town since the start of the conflict, as an overstretched health system struggles to cope with the wounded.
Volunteers from the Dilling Emergency Committees told Darfur24 that the city was subjected on Tuesday, at around 9:00 a.m., to a violent drone attack that targeted an army position inside the city. The strike resulted in a large number of casualties, including unarmed civilians and children.
According to the sources, the drone carried out an initial strike on the military site, killing more than 27 people instantly and injuring dozens. The drone later returned and launched a second strike while rescue teams were evacuating the wounded, causing the death of about 45 people at the time and increasing the number of injuries to 48, including eight critical cases requiring urgent specialized medical care.
The volunteers said that several bodies have yet to be recovered and transferred to hospitals, indicating that the final death toll may be higher than currently reported.
They added that the transfer of critically injured patients to Kadugli has not yet taken place due to road closures, security complications, and recent field developments, including the army’s withdrawal from key intersections, which reportedly facilitated the entry of the Rapid Support Forces into the area.
The sources warned of a sharp deterioration in the health situation in Dilling, noting that the city’s health system is extremely fragile following the displacement of medical staff and a severe shortage of essential medical supplies. These include intravenous fluids, gauze, anesthetics, antibiotics, and medications for chronic diseases, as well as diagnostic equipment such as X-ray, CT scan, and MRI services.
They confirmed that emergency response teams were able to reach hospitals shortly after the attack, assess the condition of the injured, and identify urgent needs in coordination with hospital administration, despite the limited capacity.
In a related development, the same sources reported that a drone attack on the same day also targeted the Al-Samasim area. The strike reportedly hit an army site, resulting in additional deaths and injuries, including civilians and children who were traveling in tuk-tuk vehicles while returning from the eastern areas, further heightening fear and panic among residents.