Four civilians, including two children, lost their lives and 30 others were wounded after Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched artillery shells on the Al-Thawra neighborhood in Omdurman City, west of the capital Khartoum, during night prayers on Sunday.
According to a statement from Khartoum state authorities, the shelling targeted residential areas, causing significant casualties. The RSF has not yet commented on the incident.
Meanwhile, the Sudanese army announced the capture of key strategic locations in central Khartoum, tightening its grip on RSF militants. The army has been gaining ground across several states, including Khartoum, Al-Jazira, White Nile, North Kordofan, Sennar, and Blue Nile.
In the capital, the army now controls all of Bahri City in the north, most of Omdurman in the west, and 75% of central Khartoum, where the Presidential Palace and the main airport are located. However, the RSF still holds parts of eastern and southern Khartoum.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced 14 million people, according to the UN. However, research from US universities estimates the death toll to be around 130,000.
International bodies and the UN have been urging an end to the violence, warning of a looming humanitarian disaster as millions face starvation and death due to severe food shortages. The fighting has now spread to 13 out of Sudan’s 18 states.