Sudan War: Drone Attack on Nyala Market Kills 100

Emergency Lawyers reported that drone strikes killed more than 100 people at a busy market in Nyala, South Darfur, on Monday. The group stated that 113 others were wounded, noting that the majority of the dead were women and children.

The attack occurred in a city that serves as the de facto capital for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Witnesses said the market doubled as a gathering spot for fighters. One cigarette vendor told the Associated Press that hundreds of RSF members were present on the evening of the strike. He described moving his stall between groups of men before a drone hit around 8 p.m. local time. A second witness estimated that about 14 civilians died, including women selling tea and food. Both men requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation.

The timeline of the conflict dates back four years to the start of the war between the RSF and the national army. The fighting has created severe poverty and food shortages. It has also produced the world's largest displacement crisis. In Nyala, the share of children treated for severe acute malnutrition rose from 5 percent to 11 percent between January and August, according to United Nations estimates released this month.

The army-aligned side presented a different account of the incident. Mohamed Didan, a spokesperson for the Special Operations Forces, wrote on Facebook that a precise air strike hit a militia camp in Dumaya, west of Nyala. He claimed more than 150 recruits were killed in the targeted attack.

Independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult due to limited information leaving the city. The Sudan Doctors Network issued a preliminary statement on Wednesday. It reported 21 dead and more than 40 wounded, attributing most deaths to shelling. The group noted that active military operations and security constraints delayed the release of the data.

Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF, stated that a second strike hit a civilian neighborhood following the initial market attack. A hospital supported by MSF received 36 bodies in the hours after the strike. Of those, 21 were wearing civilian clothing. Hospital teams treated more than 150 people in the emergency room. The organization called the strikes appalling and urged all parties to protect civilian infrastructure.

The United Nations reports that drone strikes are now the leading cause of civilian deaths in Sudan. Aid worker Mubarak Bekheit said many people remained missing and some bodies had not been recovered from homes in the area. He described residents living under constant fear of further bombardment.