Khartoum, May 31 (UNI) At least six people were killed and 15 others injured on Friday in a drone strike targeting a hospital in El-Obeid, capital of North Kordofan State in western Sudan, according to a volunteer group and a medical source.
"A drone launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck El-Obeid International Hospital this morning," the Emergency Lawyers Initiative, a volunteer group, said in a statement.
"The attack killed six people and injured 15 others, including patients, their companions, and medical staff," the group said, adding that the strike caused significant damage to the hospital, forcing it to halt medical services.
The group said the drone attack coincided with artillery shelling by RSF forces on the nearby town of Bara, also in North Kordofan State, posing a serious threat to civilians.
A medical source at the targeted hospital told Xinhua that the strike damaged key healthcare facilities, rendering the hospital inoperable.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that about seven of the injured were in critical condition, adding that medical staff were struggling to deliver urgent care under extremely challenging circumstances.
Armed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF have intensified across the Kordofan region, which includes North, West, and South Kordofan states.
On Thursday, the RSF claimed control of the towns of Al-Dibaibat in South Kordofan and Al-Khiwai in West Kordofan. The Sudanese army has not yet responded to the claim.
Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict between the SAF and the RSF since April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes, both within Sudan and across its borders.
UNI XINHUA ARN