El-fasher: At least 14 civilians were killed and dozens injured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher, the capital of the North Darfur State, a rights group said on Monday.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Emergency Lawyers, an independent human rights watchdog, reported that the RSF committed 'a horrific massacre' targeting civilians trying to flee Qarni village, northwest of El-Fasher city, on Saturday. This attack left 14 civilians dead while several others sustained injuries with varying severity.

The group mentioned that several civilians were abducted, although it did not provide further details regarding the abductions.

The attack comes amid a prolonged siege imposed by the RSF on El-Fasher, spanning over two months. This siege has precipitated a near-total collapse of health services, severe shortages in food and medicine, and widespread malnutrition and disease affecting thousands of civilians, especially children, the rights group stated.

The group has called on the international community to establish humanitarian corridors to facilitate the safe evacuation of civilians and to initiate an international investigation into the RSF's siege on the city.

There was no immediate response from the RSF regarding the report.

El-Fasher, a crucial hub for humanitarian operations in Darfur, has been subject to a strict RSF siege and recurrent clashes for over a year, despite international efforts to broker a humanitarian truce and enable aid deliveries.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between the army and the RSF since April 2023, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths and the displacement of 14 million people, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll to be around 130,000.