Fear and anxiety have gripped residents of Damazin, the capital of Sudan’s Blue Nile State, as Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers and allied joint forces continued firing in the air for a second consecutive day across several residential neighborhoods on Thursday.
The gunfire has persisted without any official explanation from the authorities, amid escalating military operations in several parts of the region and reports of fighting drawing closer to the city’s outskirts.
Residents reported hearing repeated bursts of heavy gunfire, particularly during the daytime and evening, in the Al-Sikka Hadid, Al-Thawra, Al-Nasr, Banat and Al-Zuhur neighbourhoods.
The incidents have triggered widespread panic, prompting some residents to remain indoors for fear of a further deterioration in security.
Alaa Eldin Al-Tahir, a resident of Al-Sikka Hadid neighborhood, told Radio Tamazuj that the persistent gunfire had deprived residents of sleep for two consecutive nights.
“We have not been able to sleep for the second day because of the sound of indiscriminate gunfire,” he said. “There is a climate of fear and panic among residents who desperately need reassurance and a sense of security. The deteriorating security situation on the region’s outskirts has heightened public anxiety.”
Eldin also reported that a woman had been injured amid the developments, without providing further details about the circumstances of the incident.
Meanwhile, Sahar Ahmed, a resident of Al-Thawra neighborhood, said the repeated gunfire had become a constant source of fear.
“We are living in constant fear, not knowing from which direction the bullets might come,” she lamented.
Ahmed said children had become increasingly frightened throughout the day and appealed to the authorities to intervene immediately to stop indiscriminate gunfire and ensure the protection of civilians.
Public anxiety intensified following reports circulating earlier in the day alleging that forces affiliated with the Tasis Alliance had entered the administrative headquarters of Wad Al-Mahi locality, raising fears that the fighting could spread to other parts of the region.
However, the commissioner of the Wad Al-Mahi locality denied the reports, insisting that the situation at the locality headquarters remained normal. He dismissed the claims as rumors circulated by media outlets affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Ayman Ahmed, a civil society activist, told this publication that Damazin was experiencing an increasingly alarming security situation because of indiscriminate gunfire in residential areas.
“The sound of gunfire, coupled with rumors of RSF troops entering the Wad Al-Mahi locality headquarters, has heightened fear and panic among residents,” he said. “The worsening living conditions are compounding the population’s suffering, while military police personnel have reportedly disappeared from security checkpoints across the city.”
Ahmed called for an immediate halt to indiscriminate gunfire and urged the authorities to provide residents with clear and accurate information about the reasons behind the shooting and the latest security developments.
He also demanded the redeployment of military police personnel to security checkpoints to help restore public confidence and maintain order.
The developments come as military operations continue between the Sudanese army and the RSF and its allied forces across several parts of the Blue Nile Region, particularly in Kurmuk, Geissan and Wad Al-Mahi localities.
The region also witnessed clashes in the Balang area on Wednesday, underscoring mounting security concerns as fighting continues across the region.
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