Dozens killed in strike on market in Sudan’s North Darfur

According to the UN and local rights organizations, dozens of people have been killed in an airstrike on a market in North Darfur, western Sudan.

“Distances” of casualties were reported following the attack on a market in the town of Tora, which occurred about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of el-Fasher city, according to Stephane Dujarric, a UN spokesperson, on Tuesday.

In the attack on the town of Tora, “hundreds” of civilians were killed and dozens of others were hurt, according to Emergency Lawyers, a pro-democracy organization that has been keeping tabs on abuses by both sides of Sudan’s nearly two-year civil war. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) were held responsible for the attack by the SAF.

The lawyers’ network claimed that the deliberate targeting of civilians is “a systematic war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

The Sudanese military’s Nabil Abdullah, a spokesperson for the army, claimed that civilians had not been targeted and that the allegations were “incorrect” and are raised whenever the army exercises its “constitutional and legal right to deal with hostile targets.”

The death toll could not be independently determined by Al Jazeera.

A video that appeared to show charred bodies scattered across the ground was shared by the local rights organization Darfur Victims Support. It accused the military of carrying out an airstrike.

Since the military retakes the presidential palace from the opposing paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last week, there have been two more deadly attacks on civilians.

Emergency Lawyers claimed on Monday that the RSF shelled a mosque in Khartoum’s East Nile district, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more as they performed their evening prayers.

Three civilians were killed in one of the heaviest bombardments in recent months when the RSF also bombed Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city, on Sunday.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are currently seizing strategically important areas in the east of Sudan, including a large portion of Khartoum, the capital.

The RSF is in charge of much of the western region of the nation, and specifically Darfur, where it is working with allies to form its own government.

Human rights organizations accuse both sides of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary civilian shootings and sexual assault.

According to the UN, 12.9 million people have been displaced since the conflict started in April 2023, making this the largest refugee crisis in the world.