KHARTOUM: At least 40 people were killed, and dozens more sustained injuries on Sunday when airstrikes targeted a neighborhood in the southern part of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, local activists reported.
The local resistance committee, once at the forefront of pro-democracy protests and now providing support during the conflict, revealed that military aircraft carried out the bombardment of the Qouro market area at approximately 7:15 am (0515 GMT).
Initially, the committee reported 11 casualties, but within three hours after the attack, the death toll had reached to 30. This number is expected to increase further as additional casualties are being brought to Bashair Hospital.
The hospital issued an “urgent appeal” for medical professionals in the vicinity to come forward and assist in treating the “increasing number of injured people arriving.”
Since April 15, Sudan has been gripped by a devastating war, pitting the regular army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, under the command of his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Casualties in Sudan Conflict
Conservative estimates from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project put the death toll at nearly 7,500 people, though the actual figure is believed to be much higher due to many casualties never reaching hospitals or morgues. Additionally, access to several areas has been severely restricted, and both sides have not disclosed their losses.
Despite almost five months of conflict, neither faction has been able to gain a decisive advantage. The regular armed forces control the skies over Khartoum, while the Rapid Support Forces maintain a dominant presence on the city’s streets.
The regular army has been accused of indiscriminately shelling residential areas where the paramilitary forces are positioned, including forcibly evicting families and taking over homes.
Over 2.8 million people have fled the Sudanese capital, which had a pre-war population of around five million. Those who remain in Khartoum face constant threats from airstrikes, artillery attacks, and street battles. Access to essential resources such as water and electricity is severely limited.
In addition to Khartoum, much of the fighting has been concentrated in the western region of Darfur, where violence associated with the Rapid Support Forces and their allies has led to the International Criminal Court opening a new investigation into alleged war crimes.
According to the United Nations, the conflict has displaced a total of over five million people, with one million forced to seek refuge across international borders.
