At least 22 people were killed and several others were injured after an airstrike on western Omdurman

An airstrike on western Omdurman resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people and numerous injuries, according to the Khartoum state health ministry on Saturday, July 8. This attack marks one of the deadliest since the fighting began in mid-April between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Last month, an airstrike in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, claimed the lives of at least 17 people, including five children.

The RSF has accused the Sudanese army of carrying out the airstrike in Omdurman, as well as other strikes on residential areas. The health officials from Khartoum state confirmed a death toll of 22, while the RSF claimed it was 31; however, neither party mentioned the number of injured individuals.

The RSF issued a statement stating that the airstrike had caused significant destruction to homes. Reuters reported that while the paramilitary quickly took control of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri after the conflict erupted on April 15, the army has launched air and artillery strikes.

Overnight strikes on Friday targeted the state broadcasting complex in eastern Omdurman, according to reports from Reuters.

The health ministry released a video allegedly showing the aftermath of the airstrike, revealing lifeless bodies covered with sheets as people tried to retrieve them from the rubble, as reported by the Associated Press. Witnesses cited by the BBC stated that women and children were among the victims.

The ongoing conflict between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese army, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the chief of the RSF, persists following unsuccessful mediation efforts. The federal health ministry reported that at least 1,133 people have lost their lives in the violence, which has escalated in the capital, Kordofan, and Darfur regions, as well as witnessing ethnic violence in West Darfur state.

Last month, Sudan’s Health Minister Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim stated that the clashes had resulted in over 3,000 fatalities and more than 6,000 injuries. Additionally, the United Nations reported that over 2.9 million people have been displaced within Sudan or have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

The airstrike on Saturday occurred a day after Save the Children, an international aid organization, released a statement revealing alarming numbers of teenage girls being sexually assaulted and raped by armed combatants. Furthermore, United Nations agencies issued a joint statement the previous week, highlighting an increase in reports of gender-based violence throughout the country.