At least ten people were killed in the town of Tekina in Al Jazirah state, following a second consecutive day of attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF launched the initial assault on Tuesday, attempting to enter the town, which is home to approximately 180,000 residents, including many displaced from surrounding villages. While residents managed to repel the first wave of attackers, killing four RSF fighters, the RSF returned the next day with reinforcements and increased firepower.
The RSF shelled Tekina from the nearby village of Um Magd, resulting in six fatalities and leaving others wounded, according to local residents. A resident who witnessed the attack described the escalation, stating that the RSF’s attack on Wednesday was much more forceful compared to the initial assault. The RSF has been targeting villages in eastern Al Jazirah in recent weeks, a campaign of retaliation that began after the defection of local RSF commander Abu Aqla Keikal to the Sudanese army on October 21.
In a statement, an RSF spokesman accused the residents of Tekina of supporting the Popular Resistance, a group backing the Sudanese army. However, local sources have denied these claims, asserting that the town is situated deep within RSF-controlled territory and that its residents, who had obtained light weapons to defend themselves from local criminal gangs, are not aligned with any military faction.
Tekina has faced attacks from the RSF before. In May, the town was targeted, leading to the deaths of 18 people. At the time, the RSF claimed that residents were armed, though locals have maintained that they only sought to protect themselves from criminal elements.
Now, with ongoing shelling and a blockade preventing the delivery of food and medicine, there is growing concern among residents that the RSF may carry out a massacre. The situation remains tense as RSF forces continue their operations in the region.
