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Deadly drone attack targets family home in el-Obeid
A drone strike on a residential house in el-Obeid, Sudan, killed at least 13 people on Monday, including eight children from the same family, according to the Sudan Doctors' Network. The medical group attributed the attack to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been attempting to seize the army-controlled city for months.
Civil war enters third year amid humanitarian catastrophe
The strike occurs as Sudan's civil conflict nears its third anniversary, with the United Nations and aid organizations labeling it the world's most severe humanitarian crisis. Over 11 million people have been displaced, and hundreds of thousands killed. Both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces face accusations of widespread atrocities, including sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Escalation in strategic city raises alarm
El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, remains under army control but is a prime RSF target due to its location between the capital, Khartoum, and the Darfur region. The RSF has established a parallel government in Darfur and faces genocide allegations. The Doctors' Network condemned the attack as part of a "dangerous escalation in indiscriminate killings and systematic bombings of residential areas."
Recent attacks heighten tensions
The drone strike follows an RSF assault on a power plant in el-Obeid last week. The army also reported a foiled RSF drone attack on Sudan's largest hydroelectric dam near Merowe, further intensifying hostilities.
"This reflects a dangerous escalation in the policy of indiscriminate killing and systematic bombing of safe residential areas."
Sudan Doctors' Network
Witnesses describe horror
Residents reported the strike hit a densely populated neighborhood, underscoring the civilian toll of the conflict. Analysts warn that control of el-Obeid could shift the balance of power in the broader war.
