Sustained air strikes In North Darfur Leave Nine Dead, Others Injured
January 17, 2024 (EL-FASHER) – At least nine people were killed and others injured in a series of intense airstrikes carried out by the Sudanese army Wednesday on locations associated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Darfur state, near the border with Libya.
A resident from the area recounted to Sudan Tribune from El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, that “army warplanes dropped a large number of explosive barrels on the Al-Zeriq area, resulting in the deaths of at least nine civilians and the wounding of five others.”
The resident further explained that the airstrikes targeted the RSF leadership in the region, in addition to the residence of the town’s mayor, Jumaa Dagalo. He indicated that according to information gathered from field sources, the air raids caused the burning of several military vehicles and partial damage to the RSF Command headquarters in the area.
Western reports about the RSF have suggested that the Al-Zeriq area serves as a collection point for military supplies arriving from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the RSF via various countries in the region.
The Sudanese army has accused the UAE of involvement in exacerbating the armed conflict in Sudan by providing military assistance to the RSF through the nations of Chad, Central Africa, and Libya. In response, the RSF has denied any claims of receiving external support.
Loyalists of the RSF have released videos and photographs depicting the aftermath of the destruction inflicted by the army’s air operation.
This marks the third instance since the outbreak of hostilities between the army and the RSF in mid-April that warplanes have targeted the Al-Zeriq military base. The previous incident occurred last September when army officials claimed to have destroyed weapons, ammunition depots and military vehicles in the town following an air operation.
The Sudanese army previously seized the “Chevrelet” military base of the RSF on the Libyan border on April 19, 2023, four days after the commencement of the conflict, as part of efforts to block the delivery of military supplies to the RSF through Libya.
(ST)