A drone strike on Sunday hit an army hospital in the southern Sudanese city of Dilling, killing seven civilians and injuring 12 others, a health worker at the facility told AFP. The victims included both patients and their companions. The medic, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that the hospital serves not only military personnel but also local residents from Dilling and its surrounding areas.
Dilling, located in South Kordofan, is controlled by the Sudanese army but remains under siege by rival paramilitary forces. The wider Kordofan region has become one of the fiercest battlegrounds in Sudan’s ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with both sides vying for control of the strategic southern territories.
The RSF, along with allied factions such as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, holds significant territory in Kordofan, particularly in the Nuba Mountains. These forces have imposed blockades on key cities, including Dilling and the state capital Kadugli, located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south.
The region is facing severe humanitarian crises. According to the UN, famine has affected Kadugli since September, and Dilling is believed to be experiencing similar conditions, though limited access has prevented formal assessments or declarations. The drone strike on Sunday exacerbates already dire conditions for civilians caught in the conflict.
The hospital strike follows another deadly drone attack just a day earlier on a United Nations peacekeeping base in Kadugli, which killed six Bangladeshi troops. These attacks underline the escalating intensity of the conflict in South Kordofan and the growing threat to both civilians and international personnel operating in the area.
Last week, SPLM-N declared that the capture of Dilling and Kadugli was “only a matter of time,” urging the army and its allied militias to withdraw. Meanwhile, residents and local authorities continue to grapple with disrupted access to essential services, medical care, and humanitarian aid amid the ongoing siege and airstrikes.
Leave a comment