Artillery fire kills four in Sudan’s Dilling market

April 11, 2026 (DILLING) – At least four people were killed and 13 others wounded on Saturday when artillery fire hit a market in Dilling, South Kordofan’s second-largest city.

Local sources told Sudan Tribune that the shelling, carried out by a coalition of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Abdel Aziz al-Hilu faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), struck the central market area. The attack completely destroyed four shops and partially damaged seven others.

The coalition has recently intensified its targeting of Dilling using heavy artillery and drones. These strikes have repeatedly hit civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and factories, resulting in significant casualties.

While the RSF and SPLM-N have launched periodic ground assaults to seize the city, the Sudanese army has so far repelled these attempts. Dilling remains densely populated as civilians seek refuge from the surrounding conflict.

Local activists warned that the city’s health facilities are struggling to cope with the influx of wounded. Most medical staff fled the area during a prolonged siege, and those remaining face a severe shortage of life-saving medicines and supplies.

The humanitarian situation in Dilling has fluctuated as the frontlines have shifted. In late January, the army and its allies managed to break a three-year isolation by opening rugged dirt roads connecting Dilling to North Kordofan.

However, the RSF and SPLM-N re-established the blockade in February. On April 6, the army reported breaking the siege once again following heavy fighting that led to the capture of Al-Tukma, a strategic town located approximately 7 kilometres east of Dilling.