KHARTOUM, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 civilians were killed on Friday in a suicide drone attack targeting a shelter for internally displaced persons in the Wad Al Mahi locality in southeastern Sudan's Blue Nile region, according to official and human rights statements.
In a statement, the Blue Nile government said the attack took place approximately 50 km east of the regional capital, Damazin, and accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying it out.
It provided no further details about the circumstances of the attack or the number of injured people.
The government strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a "blatant assault and a serious violation" of humanitarian values and international legal rules prohibiting attacks against civilians during armed conflicts.
It called on the international community and human rights and humanitarian organizations to condemn the incident, document and investigate it, and hold those responsible accountable.
A local eyewitness told Xinhua that a single drone fired four projectiles at the shelter early Friday morning, adding that most of the victims were women and children.
The details of the attack and the reported casualty figures could not be independently verified, and the RSF had not commented on the incident.
Sudan has been mired in an armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions both domestically and abroad. ■