Sudan’s civil war turns increasingly deadly; drone strike kills 112, bodies scattered across market
A drone strike on Tankong Market in Nyala, Sudan, reportedly killed at least 112 people and injured many others, intensifying concerns over civilian safety amid the country’s ongoing civil war.
Khartoum (The Uttam Hindu): Violence continues to escalate amid Sudan’s civil war. On Monday evening, a drone strike hit a crowded market in the city of Nyala in South Darfur, killing at least 112 people and injuring many others. At the time of the attack, civilians had gathered at the market to shop and have breakfast.
According to media reports, Emergency Lawyers, a human rights organisation monitoring the violence in Sudan, said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the attack targeted Tankong Market in the Dumaya area of Nyala. The organisation reported that more than 100 people were killed and 113 injured in the strike.
Nyala is under the control of the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The group blamed the Sudanese army for the attack and called for an independent investigation into the incident.
According to international medical organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF), 36 bodies were brought to its hospital in Nyala following the attack, while 150 injured people received treatment in the emergency department. Although figures provided by different organisations and eyewitnesses vary, all reports point to significant loss of life.
Adam Musa Obama, executive director of the Darfur Victims Organization, said eyewitnesses reported that a drone associated with the army targeted the market while civilians were present. His organisation has also documented civilian deaths. However, the figures provided in his statement regarding the number of women and children killed contain inconsistencies.
Drone attacks pose growing threat to civilians
During Sudan’s ongoing civil war, drone attacks are becoming a serious threat to civilians. Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF are using drones equipped with explosives. As markets and other civilian locations come under attack, concerns are growing that the number of deaths and injuries could continue to rise.
Last week, the Sudanese army was also accused of targeting a market in the disputed Abyei region with a drone. More than 150 people were reportedly killed in that attack. The repeated incidents have raised serious concerns about the safety of civilians in Sudan.