Khartoum: At least 17 people were killed after a drone attack struck a school and a nearby health center in Sudan’s White Nile State on Tuesday, according to medical sources and local officials.
The attack happened in the village of Shukeiri where students had gathered at a secondary school. Doctors at Douiem Hospital said many of the victims were schoolgirls. Several others were injured and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Health workers said the dead include students, two teachers and a medical worker who was at the nearby clinic when the strike took place. At least ten people were reported injured, some of them seriously.
Local groups and medical officials have accused the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group in Sudan, of carrying out the drone strike. The group has not made any public response to the accusation so far.
Doctors working in the area said there were no military targets in the village and that the school and health center were civilian facilities.
Sudan has been facing a violent conflict since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The fighting has spread to several regions and has led to thousands of deaths and a massive humanitarian crisis.
Aid organisations say civilians, including children, are increasingly becoming victims of attacks as the war continues. International groups have called for the protection of schools, hospitals and other civilian areas and urged all sides in the conflict to respect international humanitarian law.