Sudanese army says 16 civilians killed in attack in Khartoum

Smoke rises over Khartoum, Sudan, June 8, 2023, as fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues. [AP Photo]

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said 16 civilians were killed in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum on Sunday.

The army said the RSF carried out "indiscriminate shelling" on Karari and Wad al-Bakhit neighborhoods in northern Omdurman, northwest of the capital city, killing 13 civilians and wounding multiple others.

"The militia also attacked Al-Maseed area (south of Khartoum) and opened fire randomly on the citizens, killing 3 civilians," the army said in a statement.

It added that clashes also took place between the two forces in Al-Shajara area, south of Khartoum, resulting in the killing of 5 RSF fighters and injuring 6 others.

The RSF, instead, accused the SAF of bombarding residential neighborhoods in Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur State in western Sudan, killing 14 civilians and wounding dozens.

The paramilitary forces said in a statement that 60 of its soldiers were killed Sunday during the attack at the SAF's Engineers Corps base, west of Omdurman city.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the SAF and RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, which left over 3,000 people killed and more than 6,000 injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry.

More than 4.5 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan due to the conflict, according to the latest update by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.