El-fasher: At least 13 civilians were killed and 19 others injured in shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Darfur, local doctors said Monday. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that the injured included seven children and a pregnant woman in the attack that targeted residential neighborhoods of El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur in western Sudan.

According to Anadolu Agency, the medical group stated that several civilians remain trapped amid ongoing bombardment of the area. It condemned the RSF attacks as a 'full-fledged war crime and a systematic targeting of civilian life, amid shameful international silence and failure to protect hundreds of thousands of residents trapped in the city.'

The group has called on the international community and the UN Security Council to take immediate action to halt attacks on civilians and to ensure effective protection for the civilian population and medical workers. The RSF has maintained a blockade on El-Fasher since May 10, 2024, despite international warnings about the dangers to this key hub for humanitarian operations in the five Darfur states.

Clashes between Sudanese army forces and the RSF have resulted in more than 20,000 deaths and displaced approximately 15 million people since mid-April 2023, according to UN and local authorities. A study by American universities estimates the death toll at around 130,000.