General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) aircraft carried out daytime drone strikes on Tuesday that hit two town markets in North Darfur, according to residents.
In Mellit, a strike on the main market killed at least 13 street vendors and injured dozens more, witnesses said, adding that the blast caused significant damage to nearby stalls and public infrastructure.
In Kutum, residents reported two separate air raids on the town market the same day, leaving multiple casualties among traders and shoppers. Exact numbers were not immediately available as rescue and counting efforts continued.
The latest market attacks come less than two weeks after a World Food Programme convoy was hit by a SAF drone strike near Mellit on August 20, destroying several food-aid trucks. The UN confirmed the attack on the 16-truck convoy; parties to the conflict traded blame, with the RSF and civilians accusing the SAF of carrying out the strike while the SAF denied responsibility.
Multiple governments condemned the attack.
Casualty figures from Tuesday’s strikes could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate official comment from General al-Burhan’s SAF.
