Eighteen people were killed and 54 others injured, 10 of them seriously, in a drone strike targeting the Al-Sa‘ata Al-Jazira area west of Al-Debeibat, the administrative center of Al-Qoz locality in South Kordofan State, on Saturday evening.
A witness receiving treatment at El-Obeid Hospital told Mashawir that the drone targeted civilians traveling in cars and motorized rickshaws (tuk-tuks) on their way to El-Obeid. The drone fired projectiles at them, killing some and injuring others, who were later transferred to the hospital in the capital of North Kordofan State for treatment.
According to the witness, both sides of the conflict have recently been targeting civilians’ vehicles and motorcycles, suspecting they belong either to the Rapid Support Forces or the Sudanese army.
He suggested that the drone responsible for the attack likely belonged to the Sudanese army, given the repeated incidents of shelling by armed forces in those areas.
The witness added that more than 15 of the injured are in critical condition, noting that others were also hit in attacks on the same day, with efforts still ongoing to identify and account for them.
He also pointed out that the disruption of communication and internet services in those areas is hindering follow-up, coordination, and data collection.
