A drone strike on the village of Kutum in North Darfur, Sudan, has killed at least 12 civilians, including six children, according to medical sources and local activists.
The attack occurred on Wednesday in a paramilitary-controlled area, with victims reportedly brought to a local hospital where they were confirmed dead. Sixteen other people, including women and children, were also injured and are receiving treatment.
Among the dead were three female secondary school students, highlighting the scale of civilian casualties in the incident.
A pro-democracy group, the El-Fasher Resistance Committee, alleged that Sudan’s army was responsible for the strike, which hit the Al-Salama neighborhood near Al-Um Girls’ School. However, the situation remains part of a wider and complex conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has increasingly seen the use of drone warfare by both sides. The United Nations reported that drone attacks killed over 500 civilians between January and mid-March alone, warning of the devastating impact of modern weapons in populated areas.
The ongoing conflict has already caused tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 11 million people, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
