More than 70 people have been killed following a drone strike on a mosque in Sudan's Darfur region, a senior medical source has told the BBC. Friday's attack in the city of el-Fasher has been blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but the group has not taken responsibility. The RSF and the army have been engaged in a ferocious civil war for more than two years. The paramilitaries are gaining ground as they fight to seize complete control of el-Fasher - the last army stronghold in Darfur and home to more than 300,000 civilians who have been trapped by the fighting. One resident told the BBC the drone struck during morning prayers, killing dozens of people instantly. The medical source said 78 died and about 20 were injured, but the process of extracting the bodies from the rubble of the building was still ongoing. This week the RSF launched a renewed offensive on el-Fasher, which it has besieged for more than a year. Reports say this included fierce attacks on Abu Shouk, a camp for displaced people near the city. Satellite images suggest RSF units now control much of the camp, according to Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), which monitors wars. According to the unit, satellite pictures also show the RSF has entered the headquarters of the Joint Forces, a collective of armed groups allied to the Sudanese army. A full RSF capture of the city would cement the group's control of the western part of the country and reinforce a de facto split, with the army in control of the north and east. Sudan analysts and activists fear that the paramilitary group will target the civilians still in the city, most of whom belong to ethnic groups they see as its enemies. On Friday, a United Nations report warned of the increasing ethnicisation of the conflict, saying both sides were retaliating against people accused of collaborating with opposing parties.
Tragic Drone Strike Claims 78 Lives in Sudan Mosque
Tragic Drone Strike Claims 78 Lives in Sudan Mosque
A devastating drone attack during morning prayers in el-Fasher, Sudan results in significant casualties, highlighting the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in the region.
A recent drone strike on a mosque in el-Fasher, Sudan, has tragically killed 78 people and injured around 20 others. The attack, believed to be carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), occurred during morning prayers, leaving many instantly dead. This comes amidst a brutal civil war in Sudan's Darfur region, where RSF efforts to control el-Fasher intensify. With the city besieged for more than a year, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, raising concerns over the safety of civilians.
