A devastating drone attack targeted an iftar gathering hosted by the Islamic militia Al-Bara, which aligns with the Sudanese army, in the city of Atbara, resulting in numerous casualties.
The event, which brought together civilians and fighters, was marred by panic and shock following the explosion, which occurred about 300 kilometers northeast of Khartoum.
According to a medical source and eyewitnesses speaking to the French Press Agency, the drone strike in the northeastern Sudanese city of Atbara, which had been relatively untouched by the country’s ongoing war, killed 12 people and injured 30 others.
For nearly a year, Sudan has been engulfed in a bloody conflict between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, claiming thousands of Sudanese lives and displacing over 8.5 million people.
Atbara, strategically located on the road to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, harbors army units tasked with the city’s defense. It serves as a temporary base for the government allied with the army.
The RSF, considered an extension of the infamous Janjaweed militia launched by former President Omar al-Bashir to quell rebel movements in Darfur, now controls a significant part of Darfur. This region, the size of France, has been isolated from the rest of the country for months.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The RSF possesses drones but is stationed more than 250 kilometers from Atbara.
U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, reported that military aircraft had bombed the city of El Fasher in North Darfur last Monday, where thousands of civilians from across Darfur had sought refuge.
He highlighted on the X platform that throughout the country, both the army and the RSF are “hindering the access to humanitarian aid and the free movement of civilians.”
This incident underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, with the international community increasingly concerned about the conflict’s impact on civilians and the urgent need for aid and protection.