Drone strikes on central Sudanese city kill up to 23: NGO

What Happened

Overnight drone strikes hit the central Sudanese city of el-Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, on Thursday. The local rights group Emergency Lawyers reported 23 killed and 19 wounded, while health officials at el-Obeid Hospital said 15 were killed and more than 10 wounded. The attacks struck residential areas, a funeral gathering, and a truck carrying food supplies, as well as areas near army positions. Emergency Lawyers blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the strikes, but the RSF did not immediately claim responsibility. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the claim. The incident follows a drone strike less than a week earlier on the main market in RSF-controlled Abu Zaeima, North Kordofan, which killed at least 11 people and injured dozens more; no party claimed responsibility for that attack.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

El-Obeid is the capital of North Kordofan and a key logistical hub linking RSF-controlled Darfur to army-held areas in eastern Sudan. The city has been partially encircled by RSF for months, and the increasing use of drone warfare—with the UN reporting 880 civilian drone deaths nationwide from January to April—escalates the humanitarian toll and adds an indiscriminate aerial dimension to the conflict, which has already displaced nearly 13 million people and created a severe hunger crisis.

Watch For

Further drone strikes on civilian areas in Kordofan, as both sides may expand the tactic. Potential RSF or army claims of responsibility or denials. The international community's response to civilian harm, possibly through the Jeddah process or UN statements.