Hundreds Feared Dead After Sudan Army Airstrike on Darfur Market, Watchdog Claims
A devastating airstrike on a market in Darfur, Sudan, has reportedly killed and injured hundreds of civilians, according to a Sudanese war monitor. The incident, described as a “horrific massacre”, occurred in Tur’rah market, just north of el-Fasher, a city controlled by the Sudanese military.
The Emergency Lawyers group, which monitors human rights violations on both sides of the Sudanese civil war, blamed the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for the attack. Footage shared online, including by the army’s rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), showed charred bodies and the smoking remains of market stalls.
Army Denies Civilian Targeting
A military spokesperson denied the allegations, insisting the strike targeted “legitimate hostile elements”. However, both the SAF and RSF have previously been accused of indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas.
The RSF—known for deploying drones—controls much of Darfur, but only the military operates warplanes, which are frequently used to strike RSF-held territories.
The Darfur Initiative for Justice and Peace, an activist group, called the market bombing “the deadliest single attack since the war began” in April 2023. The exact death toll and date of the airstrike remain unverified.
Sudan’s Escalating Crisis
The attack underscores the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan. The United Nations estimates that over 12 million people have been displaced—equivalent to the entire population of Belgium or Tunisia. Meanwhile, more than 150,000 people have reportedly been killed.
Famine and widespread starvation have gripped the nation, with over half of Sudan’s population facing acute food insecurity, according to the UN. Aid organizations have labeled Sudan the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The RSF has denied accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Darfur, despite growing evidence of atrocities, including mass rapes and civilian massacres, especially targeting non-Arab communities.
Worsening Conflict, Diminishing Hope
This latest airstrike is part of a broader pattern of increasing violence and deepening ethnic and political divisions in Sudan. Despite international calls for peace, both warring factions continue to inflict devastation on the country’s civilian population.
As the war rages on, many fear the death toll will keep rising—and with it, the collapse of already fragile humanitarian and governance systems.
