At least 13 people were killed and 20 others wounded when artillery shells fired by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck a mosque sheltering displaced families in the besieged city of El-Fasher, eyewitnesses told AFP on Thursday.
The witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the shells were launched from the north of the city, where the RSF recently overran the Abu Shouk displacement camp and established new positions as part of its offensive to seize control from the Sudanese army.
“After the shelling in the afternoon, we pulled 13 bodies from under the rubble and buried them,” said one resident.
A survivor added: “We were 70 families inside the mosque after the RSF entered our homes. Yesterday, artillery shells fell, killing 13 of us, wounding 20, and destroying part of the mosque.”
Fiercest Assault Since War Began
The assault marks one of the fiercest RSF attacks on El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, since Sudan’s civil war erupted between the army and RSF in April 2023.
El-Fasher, surrounded by RSF forces since May 2024, remains the last major city under army control in the Darfur region. The paramilitary group has intensified artillery and drone strikes, capturing several surrounding camps and reportedly killing hundreds of civilians while extorting survivors for safe passage.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, another 20 people were killed when RSF strikes hit El-Fasher Hospital, one of the city’s few remaining functioning medical facilities.
Last month, a drone strike on a mosque killed at least 75 worshippers, according to local reports.
Worsening Humanitarian Catastrophe
The ongoing siege has pushed El-Fasher to the brink of famine. Families have been surviving for months on animal feed, which residents say now costs hundreds of dollars per sack.
Across Sudan, the conflict has displaced millions and left nearly 25 million people facing acute hunger, according to the United Nations, which describes the situation as the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis.
Tens of thousands have been killed, though the exact toll remains unknown as most hospitals are destroyed or inaccessible, and survivors bury their dead in makeshift graves.
If El-Fasher falls, the RSF will effectively control the entire Darfur region, where it has moved to establish a rival administration.
The Sudanese army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, still holds parts of the north, central, and eastern regions of the country.
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