Five killed in artillery strike on Sudan’s Dilling

March 4, 2026 (DILLING) – At least five people were killed and 33 others injured on Wednesday in artillery shelling by a coalition of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the city of Dilling in South Kordofan state, the Sudanese Doctors Network said.

Dilling has faced intense aerial and artillery attacks since the start of the week. The RSF and the SPLM-N, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, are seeking to reimpose a blockade on key cities in South Kordofan. In January and February, the Sudanese army and its allies successfully broke a nearly three-year siege, linking Dilling and Kadugli to North Kordofan via rugged desert routes.

The Sudanese Doctors Network said in a statement that the shelling struck the neighbourhoods of Freish, Al-Marafid, and Al-Hilla al-Jadida, causing civilian casualties and varying degrees of damage to homes and property.

Health facilities in the city received the wounded, some of whom are in critical condition, while medical staff operate under extremely complex conditions, the statement added.

The network condemned what it described as the “systematic targeting” of residential areas, calling it a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law that places innocent civilians at grave risk through the use of heavy artillery in populated zones.

The statement said the continued attacks exacerbate the suffering of citizens and worsen the humanitarian and health situation in the city, holding the RSF and the SPLM-N fully responsible for the strikes.

The group called on the international community and human rights organizations to take urgent action to pressure the warring parties to stop targeting civilians and residential areas. It also urged the provision of necessary protection for citizens who had begun returning to the city following the lifting of the siege.