At least ten people have been killed and 23 others wounded in a shelling attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on residential areas and a shelter centre in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) reported the attack on Wednesday March 12, highlighting the escalating violence as part of the ongoing conflict in the region. The shelling targeted various neighbourhoods and a shelter with 37 120-mm artillery shells, according to the SAF’s 6th Infantry Division.
The attack resulted in the deaths of ten civilians, including a three-year-old child, while 23 others sustained injuries, some of which were severe enough to require hospital treatment. The SAF condemned the RSF’s actions, calling them an escalation of crimes against civilians. In addition to the artillery fire, the RSF launched drone strikes targeting key sites within El Fasher, although the SAF’s air defences successfully shot down the drones.
Since the outbreak of hostilities between the SAF and RSF in mid-April 2023, Sudan has been devastated by widespread violence, with over 29,600 lives lost and more than 15 million people displaced, according to estimates from the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration. The city of El Fasher has been a hotspot for intense fighting since May 10, 2023, and the recent attack marks another grim chapter in the ongoing humanitarian crisis.