At least 33 people were killed after a drone attack struck two markets in towns controlled by paramilitary forces in southwest Sudan, a medical source said on Sunday.
The strikes hit markets in Abu Zabad and Wad Banda towns in West Kordofan State, part of the resource-rich Kordofan region that has become one of the fiercest battlegrounds in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
A doctor at Abu Zabad Hospital said two drones attacked the markets on Saturday, leaving 59 people injured. The doctor, who spoke anonymously via a Starlink connection, added that about 30 of the wounded were still receiving treatment.
The two towns are located about 15 kilometres apart.
A resident of Abu Zabad, Hamad Abdullah, said he participated in the burial of 20 victims following what he described as an army drone strike on the town’s market.
“Four of them were my relatives who worked in the market,” he said.
However, a military source denied the allegation, insisting that the Sudanese armed forces do not target civilian areas.
“This is a lie with no basis. We only target rebels, their equipment and weapons depots,” the source said.
Since the conflict began in April 2023, both the army and the Rapid Support Forces have faced accusations of war crimes, including attacks on civilians and shelling of residential areas.
The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million, creating what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
