Dozens killed in RSF attack on El Fasher, chemical weapons use alleged

July 27, 2024 (EL FASHER) – At least 25 people were killed and dozens wounded in an artillery and drone attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the capital of North Darfur on Saturday, the regional government said, accusing the paramilitary group of using chemical weapons.

The RSF, which has been battling the army since April, launched an offensive on El Fasher in May but was repelled by the army and allied militias. The fighting has killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than 500,000 in the city.

“At least 25 people were killed and more than 50 injured,” Ibrahim Khatir, Director General of the North Darfur Health Ministry, told Sudan Tribune. He said the injuries observed at the hospital suggested the use of chemical weapons, a claim that could not be independently verified.

Government officials accused the RSF of targeting civilian areas with heavy weaponry. The RSF has previously denied such accusations.

Khatir said he expected the death toll to rise as some of the injured had not yet reached hospitals.

Local resistance committees reported the death toll from the RSF shelling in El Fasher has risen to 97, including both fatalities and injuries.

The Saudi Hospital, already grappling with severe medicine shortages, was overwhelmed with casualties, some bearing first-degree burns consistent with incendiary weapons.

A medical source at the Saudi Hospital, speaking anonymously, suggested to Sudan Tribune that the RSF may have deployed internationally banned weapons. They noted that nine of the wounded sustained first-degree burns.

The shelling impacted multiple residential areas, including Al-Radief, Al-Thawra and Daraj Al-Oula, as well as commercial districts like the main market and livestock and vegetable markets south of El Fasher.

A private hospital, “Nabd Al-Hayat,” also sustained significant damage to its solar power systems after being targeted by an RSF drone.

This attack is part of a recent pattern of RSF targeting healthcare facilities, including the city’s dialysis centre, El Fasher South Hospital, and several private clinics, in an apparent attempt to cripple the city’s healthcare system.

Despite numerous international and regional pleas to protect El Fasher, a vital humanitarian hub for Darfur sheltering 800,000 displaced people and two million residents, both warring factions have disregarded these calls.

(ST)