A woman was killed and several civilians injured in drone attacks on residential neighbourhoods in Damazin, the capital of Sudan’s Blue Nile State, on Tuesday night, local residents told Radio Tamazuj.
One drone struck the Al-Zuhur neighbourhood, killing a woman, while another crashed into a house in the Al-Muallimin neighbourhood, injuring several people inside. Damazin is under the control of the Sudanese army.
The attacks heightened fears among residents of further strikes on residential areas and raised concerns over civilian casualties and damage to property.
The woman killed was identified as Ilham Ali Shikan, a mother of three.
Al-Hadi Mohammed, a resident of the Al-Zuhur neighbourhood, said the attack had left residents frightened.
“May God have mercy on Ilham. She was a mother with children. People here live in fear and terror,” he said.
“There is no army here, not even a military camp, that could have been the target of a drone,” he added.
“These are victims and innocent people. They are not parties to this war,” Mohammed said.
In the Al-Muallimin neighbourhood, another drone crashed into a residential house, injuring several occupants.
Mohammed al-Tayeb, a resident of the neighbourhood, said residents had spent the night in fear as drones flew overhead and air defence systems fired.
“We did not sleep last night because of the drones and the sound of ground-based air defences,” he said.
“Even the children were frightened and terrified,” he added.
He called for an end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Video footage reviewed by Radio Tamazuj showed explosions in Damazin, with eyewitnesses reporting drone attacks at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
Civil society activist Kamal Hassan also confirmed that Damazin had come under drone attacks on Tuesday evening, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries.
He said the strikes had hit civilian facilities in the town and called on international organisations and other relevant bodies to take action to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The attacks came amid intensified fighting between the Sudanese army and forces of the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasis), an alliance between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), in Kurmuk, Geissan and Wad al-Mahi localities.
Tasis forces announced on Tuesday that they had taken control of the Sali military base in Kurmuk locality, north of Kurmuk town, following clashes with the army.
The announcement came a day after the army’s 4th Infantry Division said it had repelled attacks by Tasis forces on its positions in Sali and Bakori.
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