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At least 33 people were killed after drones 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, both located in West Kordofan.
A doctor at a hospital in Abu Zabad said two drones struck the markets on Saturday, leaving 59 people injured. The medical worker, who spoke anonymously, added that about 30 of the injured victims were still receiving treatment.
The two towns are located roughly 15 kilometres apart.
A resident of Abu Zabad, Hamad Abdullah, said he helped bury 20 victims after what he believed was a drone attack carried out by the army on the local market.
He said several of those killed were people he knew, including relatives who worked there.
However, a military source, while speaking to AFP, denied the allegation, saying the Sudanese armed forces do not target civilian areas. The source maintained that the army’s operations are directed only at rebel fighters, their equipment and weapons depots.
“This is a lie with no basis. We only target rebels, their equipment and their weapons depots,” the source said, requesting anonymity.
The state is part of the oil-rich Kordofan region, which has become one of the most intense battlegrounds in the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Fighting in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between the national army and the RSF. Since then, both sides have faced accusations of committing war crimes, including attacks on civilians and the shelling of residential areas.
The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million others, creating what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
