8 civilians killed in RSF drone attack in Sudan

El Fasher, Oct 2 Eight civilians have been killed and several others have been injured in a drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that targeted a neighbourhood in the city of El Fasher, western Sudan, according to volunteers and an eyewitness.

"Militia attacks using artillery and drones on civilian areas continue, as a drone today targeted a gathering of civilians in the Al-Daraja Al-Oula neighbourhood, west of El Fasher, leaving eight people dead and several others injured," the Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher, a volunteer group, said in a statement on Wednesday (local time).

"Five civilians died instantly, while three others succumbed to their injuries after being taken to the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher. Around 12 injured individuals were transferred to the hospital," an eyewitness told Xinhua news agency.

As the country's civil conflict drags on, the 6th Infantry Division of the Sudanese army said in a statement Wednesday that army units and its allied forces had ambushed an RSF unit attempting to infiltrate El Fasher.

"A large number of foreign mercenaries were eliminated, some of whom were drone and electronic systems engineers," the division said.

Army-affiliated media platforms released video footage showing the bodies of RSF fighters in the southern part of El Fasher.

The RSF has not yet issued a statement regarding the developments in El Fasher.

Since May 10, 2024, violent clashes have been ongoing in El Fasher between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their allies on one side, and the RSF on the other, with the fighting intensifying in recent days.

Sudan remains gripped by a conflict between the SAF and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, both internally and across borders, deepening the country's humanitarian crisis.

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