El-Obeid, Sudan – At least 15 civilians were killed and dozens more were injured in a series of overnight drone strikes carried out by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the central city of El-Obeid. Health officials confirmed the casualties on Thursday, adding to the growing toll of civilian deaths in the protracted conflict.

The attacks, which began late Wednesday, targeted multiple locations across El-Obeid. Among the hardest-hit areas were residential neighborhoods, a cemetery where a funeral gathering was underway, and sites near an army position and a gas station.

According to the Sudan Doctors Network, four people were killed when drones struck mourners at a cemetery. Emergency Lawyers, a local rights group, reported that homes in residential areas were also hit, with some civilians trapped under collapsed buildings. The group also stated that a truck carrying food supplies was struck, killing the driver.

Witnesses described scenes of devastation, with rescue efforts underway. Concerns remain that the death toll could rise as emergency services continue their work.

These drone strikes are the latest in a pattern of escalating aerial attacks by both the Sudanese army and the RSF, who have been engaged in a fierce conflict since April 2023. Drone warfare has become an increasingly prominent and deadly feature of the war, with rights groups reporting that such attacks now account for a significant percentage of civilian casualties.

The violence has severely disrupted daily life in El-Obeid. Schools have suspended classes, markets are operating only partially, and aid operations have been significantly hindered.

El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, is a strategic city and has become a key battleground in the conflict, with the RSF having had the city under siege for months.

The war in Sudan has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced.