A day after the RSF said foreign-made drones hit targets in Central Darfur and North Darfur, medical staff and witnesses in Zalingei reported fatalities and injuries from a fresh strike that targeted RSF positions and nearby civilian areas.
A clinician at Zalingei Teaching Hospital said a drone fired five missiles across the city on Wednesday. In the Kilo 2 district east of Zalingei, seven civilians were wounded, some critically, and taken to Zalingei Teaching Hospital. Injured RSF personnel were moved to Dr. Muawiya Clinic, with several later evacuated to Nyala in South Darfur.
An eyewitness said another missile struck the local government compound at the central market, currently used as the office of Central Darfur RSF commander Abdul Rahman Jumaa Baraka Allah. The blast reportedly killed 13 RSF soldiers, including Lt. Col. Fadl Al-Sayed Salik, who headed the state’s military police.
In a follow-up statement, the RSF reiterated its accusation that “unidentified foreign parties” launched drones from outside Sudan, saying strikes in Zalingei and Kabkabiya caused additional civilian harm. The group said it is monitoring alleged “external interference” and reserves the right to respond.
Residents reported a sweep of arrests inside Zalingei after the attack. Detainees included Nasr al-Din Muhammad al-Dum, held en route to Al-Hamidiya camp, and 14-year-old Muhammad Ali, seized at the livestock market after filming smoke from the strike. Witnesses said the teenager was beaten before being transferred with others to Zalingei Central Prison.
