KHARTOUM, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 civilians were killed and 34 others wounded on Monday in two separate drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in central and western Sudan, volunteer groups reported.
The attacks targeted a civilian gathering in the central North Kordofan state and a children's hospital in western North Darfur state, according to the volunteer groups.
"The RSF targeted the Al-Lulib area, about 15 km east of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, with a drone today (Monday), killing 13 civilians and injuring 29 others, some of whom are in critical condition," the North Kordofan Resistance Committee, a volunteer group, said in a statement.
An eyewitness from the area told Xinhua, "The strike targeted a large civilian gathering held to offer condolences, resulting in a high number of deaths and injuries."
In another incident, the Sudan Doctors Network, another volunteer group, reported that an RSF drone struck the children's hospital in the Kornoi area of North Darfur, resulting in civilian casualties.
The group said seven citizens, including women and children, were killed and five others seriously injured. It added that two children were receiving treatment inside the hospital at the time of the strike.
The network held the RSF fully responsible for the attack, urging the international community and human rights organizations to condemn the attacks and take urgent measures to protect civilians.
Fighting has intensified in recent weeks across the Darfur and Kordofan states between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, following the latter's recapture of several strategic towns, including Bara in North Kordofan and El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
The RSF has not yet commented on the reported attacks.
Sudan remains engulfed in a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, plunging the country deeper into a humanitarian crisis. ■