Drone strike kills 17 in West Darfur capital

December 26, 2025 (EL GENEINA) – At least 17 people were killed, and several others were injured on Friday in drone strikes that targeted at least two locations in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, local officials and residents said.

The city has been under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since November 2023. The group has faced widespread accusations of war crimes and ethnic cleansing targeting the Masalit community in the region. El Geneina, which borders Chad, has been hit repeatedly by Sudanese army airstrikes.

The RSF-affiliated civil administration in West Darfur said in a statement that at least 17 people died in strikes launched by army drones.

According to the statement, the first strike hit a water station in the Ardamata area, killing seven people, including women and children. The administration described the incident as a “direct attack on a vital service facility relied upon by thousands of civilians.”

A second strike hit a civilian vehicle in the Kirik area that was transporting a patient and her companions to El Geneina hospital. Ten people, all members of the same family, were killed in that attack, the statement said.

The civil administration condemned the targeting of unarmed civilians and infrastructure, rejecting the justification of strikes against what are termed “social incubators” or support bases.

The statement called the strikes a violation of international humanitarian law and urged international rights organizations to document the incident and hold those responsible accountable.