Sudanese paramilitary drone strikes kill at least 15 people in central region, officials say

CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese paramilitary forces carried out drone strikes overnight in central Sudan, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens, health officials said Thursday, as the use of unmanned aircraft becomes increasingly common in the more than three-year war in the African country.

The attacks, which started late Wednesday, targeted various areas of the city of el-Obeid, including near an army position, according to two health officials at el-Obed Hospital, which received the victims. More than 10 people were also wounded, some critically, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023, after long-simmering tensions between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million, and pushed many parts of the country into famine. More than 30 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Dr. Mohamed Elsheikh, a spokesperson with Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks casualty tolls, told The Associated Press that in el-Obeid, RSF drones also hit a funeral gathering at a cemetery, killing four people there, and a gas station. He could not immediately confirm if the casualties were civilians, combatants or both.

An aid worker with Mercy Corps told the AP that drone attacks have intensified across el-Obeid in recent days, targeting gatherings of people in the city. The worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said schools have suspended classes and markets are only partially open because of the attacks.

Emergency Lawyers, a local aid monitoring group, said Thursday the toll is likely to increase as drones were still flying over the city.

The group said homes near military headquarters of the 5th Infantry Division in el-Obeid were hit, as well as a truck carrying food supplies into the city. Its driver was killed, the group said.

“This series of attacks indicates a widespread pattern of targeting civilian gatherings, neighborhoods and infrastructure, including during rescue operations and funerals," the group also said, expressing concerns about the indiscriminatory nature of the attacks.

The war, now in its fourth year, has left the Sudanese military in control of the north, east and central regions, including Sudan’s Red Sea ports and its oil refineries and pipelines. The RSF and its allies control Darfur and parts of Kordofan along the border with South Sudan — both regions rich in oil fields and gold mines.

Drone warfare has become the deadliest threat to civilians in Sudan ’s conflict and both the military and the RSF are being supplied by a number of countries in the Middle East and beyond, experts have said. A surge in drone attacks in Kordofan has also hampered aid operations there, humanitarian workers say.

Abdalla reported from Shendi, Sudan.