Four Women Killed in Damazin Strike as Sudan War Between Army and RSF Escalates

At least four women were killed and dozens of civilians injured after drone strikes hit homes and a mosque in Damazin, the capital of Sudan's southeastern Blue Nile state, on Wednesday, with rights groups blaming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack.

Emergency Lawyers, which monitors Sudan's conflict, said the strikes hit the Al-Hijra neighbourhood, targeting civilian areas including homes and a mosque. Local reports said several drones were seen over the city early Wednesday, while the home of Blue Nile Finance Minister Abbas Kara was also hit. Residences linked to other senior regional officials were reportedly damaged.

The identities of the four women were reported by local sources as Nahed Al-Jundi Yassin, Hanaa Al-Jundi Yassin, Masajid Jaber Idris and Himaya Al-Nour. Local rights groups said they were killed in the Al-Hijra area. Reports differed on the number of wounded, with some saying dozens were injured.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF. Emergency Lawyers called for those responsible for attacks on civilians to be held accountable. The strike follows earlier drone attacks on Damazin, including an assault days ago that targeted the residence of Blue Nile Governor Ahmed al-Omda and other sites. Previous attacks have also hit vital infrastructure, including fuel facilities.

The escalation comes as fighting has intensified in Blue Nile state between Sudan's military and an alliance involving the RSF and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The alliance has seized several areas near the Ethiopian border, including Kurmuk and Qaysan, according to Reuters. Sudan's military-led government has accused Ethiopia of allowing its territory to be used for cross-border drone attacks, an allegation Addis Ababa denies.

The latest strike came days after an aerial attack on two World Food Programme (WFP) trucks in South Kordofan killed a driver. The trucks were travelling from Dilling to Kadugli and were clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles carrying food assistance. The WFP called for a prompt and impartial investigation.

The attack was the latest in a series of threats to humanitarian operations in Sudan. The UN has said 17 food-carrying trucks have been destroyed and eight drivers killed in attacks over the past two years. The WFP has urged all sides to protect civilians, humanitarian workers and aid supplies.

Sudan's war began in April 2023 after tensions between the military and the RSF erupted into open fighting in Khartoum before spreading across the country. The conflict has killed at least 150,000 people, according to conflict monitor ACLED, while more than 12.4 million have been displaced, according to UN figures. About 33.7 million people, including 17.3 million children, urgently need humanitarian assistance this year, with an estimated 825,000 children facing severe acute malnutrition.

The violence comes as diplomatic efforts continue. US President Donald Trump's senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, recently met Sudan's military chief, Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan, in Egypt as Washington pushes for a negotiated end to the war.