A drone strike on a market in Nyala killed 21 people and wounded at least 40, while separate attacks on electricity infrastructure disrupted power supplies across several Sudanese states.
Web Desk: Drone strikes in Sudan have killed at least 21 people in the western city of Nyala and caused widespread electricity outages across several states, as fighting between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensifies.
The deadly attack struck a market in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur and a major stronghold of the RSF. A medical source and witnesses told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that at least 40 people were also wounded in the strike on Monday evening, October 26.
The latest violence comes amid an escalation in drone attacks targeting both military positions and critical infrastructure, further worsening conditions for civilians already affected by years of conflict.
Market strike kills 21 in Nyala
Witnesses said a drone struck a market in northern Nyala at around 8pm local time on Monday. The market was reportedly frequented by young men, including RSF fighters.
A medic at Nyala Hospital confirmed that 21 people had been killed and more than 40 injured. However, the medical source could not establish how many of the casualties were members of the paramilitary force.
Nyala remains a key centre for the RSF, which has established a rival administration in areas under its control. The Sudanese military has repeatedly targeted locations in the city during the conflict.
Drone attacks trigger widespread power outages
Separately, coordinated drone attacks on electricity infrastructure have disrupted power supplies across large parts of eastern and central Sudan.
The state-owned electricity company reported that attacks on power stations on Monday damaged facilities in Al-Jazira, White Nile, Sennar and Gedaref states. The strikes affected stations in several locations, including Sinja, Al-Hawata, Al-Fao, Mashkour and Al-Junaid.
The company warned that the damage threatened the stability of the national electricity grid.
On Tuesday, another drone attack targeted the Al-Markhiyat transformer station near Omdurman, disrupting electricity supplies across large parts of Khartoum and Al-Jazira states, according to a source in the national electricity company cited by AFP.
The RSF has been blamed for the attacks on power infrastructure by Sudanese sources. Reuters reported that it could not independently verify the electricity company’s account, and the RSF had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Essential services face growing pressure
The outages threaten essential services, including hospitals, water supplies and refrigeration for medicines, in areas already struggling with shortages and damaged infrastructure.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that attacks on electricity facilities put the health and welfare of millions of people at risk.
Extended blackouts can also disrupt water treatment, communications and the delivery of humanitarian assistance, adding to the difficulties faced by displaced families and communities affected by the fighting.
Sudan’s civil war deepens humanitarian crisis
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF began in April 2023 following a power struggle and disagreements over the integration of the paramilitary group into the national military.
The war has devastated communities, damaged infrastructure and forced millions of people from their homes. Aid organisations have warned of widespread hunger and severe obstacles to delivering humanitarian assistance.
Drone warfare has become an increasingly prominent feature of the conflict, with both sides carrying out attacks across territories controlled by their opponents.
According to a United Nations tally cited in recent reporting, drone strikes killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds during the first three weeks of October alone. The figures underscore the growing civilian toll as the fighting continues.
Famine concerns add to the emergency
Sudan is also facing an acute food-security crisis. On October 26, a group of 30 countries, including the United States, France and the United Kingdom, called for urgent action to prevent famine from spreading further.
The countries cited the continuing war, currency depreciation, higher fuel costs and drought-related pressures as factors worsening food insecurity.
Sudan’s foreign ministry disputed claims about the severity of the food crisis, describing the country’s food security situation as reassuring and accusing some countries and organisations of politicising the issue.
