Sudan Drone Assault Death Toll Nears Eighty

(MENAFN) The casualty count from Thursday's drone assault on civilian zones in Kalogi, a city in southern Sudan's South Kordofan state, has surged to 79 fatalities—including 43 children—state authorities announced Friday.

South Kordofan state government issued a statement attributing the attack to opposition Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) forces "in coordination with the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia."

A drone unleashed four missiles that "hit a kindergarten, the Ghadeer Hospital, and several densely populated areas, also injuring 38 people, including 11 children and 6 women," according to the statement.

State officials urged the international community to "take a clear stance" on the assault, classify the RSF as a "terrorist organization" and pursue accountability for perpetrators.

Volunteer organizations initially reported Thursday that nine people perished with seven wounded in the strike, attributing responsibility to the RSF and SPLM-N, which maintains control over extensive South Kordofan territories.

Neither the RSF nor the SPLM-N has issued statements regarding the attacks.

Armed conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF ignited in April 2023, claiming tens of thousands of lives while displacing millions across Sudan—driving one of the globe's most severe humanitarian emergencies. UN humanitarian officials have issued repeated warnings that Kordofan region violence has dramatically intensified recently, sparking massive displacement and civilian devastation.

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