At least 28 people were killed and dozens injured in a drone strike on a crowded marketplace in the Al-Saffiya area of North Kordofan, southern Sudan, a local rights group said on Monday.
The Emergency Lawyers group, which monitors human rights violations, said drones targeted a market northeast of the Sodari locality. The death toll remains preliminary and is expected to rise, as the attack occurred during peak trading hours with women, children and elderly people among those present.
The group described the strike as a serious breach of international humanitarian law and a violation of the principle of civilian protection during armed conflict. It warned that the growing use of drones against populated areas signals a dangerous escalation that threatens civilian life and basic infrastructure. No party has been identified as responsible for the attack.
Separately, the Sudan Doctors Network reported early on Monday that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed three people and injured seven others during a Sunday evening assault on Al Mazmoum Hospital in Sennar State.
Sudan has been gripped by a protracted conflict between the army and the RSF since April 2023. The war has left tens of thousands dead, displaced about 13 million people and triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations.