Civilian Fatalities in Strike on Local Government Headquarters in Blue Nile

Local sources reported on Saturday that civilian casualties occurred following shelling carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia targeting the headquarters of Gaisan Locality government in Sudan’s Blue Nile region in the southeast of the country.

According to the sources, the militia has increased the number of drone attacks targeting districts and villages in Blue Nile state bordering Ethiopia, after its attempts with the SPLM–North movement to seize Kurmuk stalled.

Sources told Sudan Tribune that militia-operated drones attacked the Gaisan Locality headquarters, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. The same sources added that the militia launched a similar strike on the border town of Bakori near Ethiopia.

The militia and the SPLM–North are seeking to open a new front in Blue Nile. On February 3, they carried out coordinated attacks on three sites in Kurmuk Locality, one week after advancing into the towns of Al-Salak and Malkan, before the army pushed them back swiftly.

Military sources said army drones conducted heavy strikes on positions of the SPLM–North faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu in the town of Yabus, in addition to targeting moving militia positions around the Malkan area in Bao locality, Blue Nile region.

The SPLM–North controls Yabus, a remote town near the border with South Sudan.