Dozens killed in mosque air strike in Sudan’s Wad Madani

October 21, 2024 (WAD MADANI) – At least 31 civilians were killed in an air strike on a mosque in Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state, activists said on Monday. The attack coincided with reports of RSF assaults on villages in the east of the state.

The RSF launched retaliatory attacks in eastern Al Jazirah a day after its state commander, Abu Aqla Kikal, defected to the army. This coincided with the arrest and torture of dozens of suspected Kikal loyalists.

“Military aircraft bombed the Sheikh El Jeili mosque and its surroundings in the western extension neighbourhood with barrel bombs after evening prayer,” the Wad Madani Resistance Committees said in a statement.

The committees reported 31 fatalities in the air strike, with 15 bodies identified. “There are still dozens of body parts and corpses that have not been identified yet,” the statement added.

The armed forces have been accused of indiscriminate air strikes on RSF-controlled locations across Sudan, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and widespread destruction.

The Wad Madani Resistance Committees reported that the RSF attacked villages in eastern Al Jazirah, including Tambul, Rufaa, and El Geneid El Hilla, committing massacres.

The Rufaa Resistance Committees said 20 civilians were killed in eastern Al Jazirah, with the highest toll in Tambul, where ten people, including a female doctor, were killed.

Supporters of the RSF posted videos on social media showing the torture and interrogation of suspected Kikal loyalists.

Since the RSF seized control of Al Jazirah state last December, Kikal has protected the eastern regions due to social ties. The area experienced fewer violations than other parts of the state, particularly the west.