Suspected drone strike hits Sudan prison, killing at least 20 inmates

A suspected drone strike on a prison in Sudan’s North Kordofan killed at least 20 inmates and wounded dozens more, officials said, amid intensifying conflict between the military and paramilitary forces.

A suspected drone strike targeted the main prison in Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan in Sudan, on Saturday, killing at least 20 inmates and injuring 50 others, according to Information Minister Khalid Aleiser.

Aleiser, who also serves as spokesperson for the military-aligned government, blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack. The strike comes amid a growing wave of RSF drone operations on areas under military control across the country.

Sudan has been in civil war since 15 April 2023, when long-standing tensions between the military and the RSF escalated into open conflict in the capital Khartoum and other regions. Obeid lies approximately 363 kilometres (225 miles) south of Khartoum.

The RSF has not yet commented on the incident. Earlier this month, the group carried out a prolonged drone offensive on Port Sudan, the Red Sea city currently serving as the temporary administrative centre of the Sudanese government. The strikes targeted airports, seaports and fuel storage facilities.

In response, Sudan’s military launched airstrikes on Nyala airport in South Darfur, a reported hub for RSF military supplies, including foreign-supplied drones. Local media outlets reported that dozens of RSF personnel were killed in the operation.

Meanwhile, in the western Darfur region, the RSF reportedly shelled a camp for displaced persons near El Fasher on Friday. The Emergency Room, a local activist group monitoring the war, said at least 14 people were killed, including two parents, their eight children and the children's grandmother.

The RSF has been launching near-daily assaults on both the camp and El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, which the group has sought to capture for over a year.

Last month, RSF fighters stormed Zamzam camp—Sudan’s largest site for displaced persons—killing more than 400 people and forcing the remaining population to flee, according to aid groups.

The conflict has led to widespread humanitarian devastation. At least 24,000 people are believed to have been killed, though the true figure is likely much higher. Around 13 million people have been displaced from their homes, including 4 million who have fled to neighbouring countries. Several areas of Sudan are facing famine conditions.

The war has been marked by widespread reports of atrocities, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, which the United Nations and international human rights organisations say may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity—particularly in Darfur.