Heavy artillery fire pierced the morning calm of South Kordofan as violent clashes erupted across multiple villages.
Fighting intensified around the city of Kauda when Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North forces launched an extensive 5:00 a.m. offensive against rival fighters.
Shells rained down upon residential neighborhoods and overcrowded displaced persons camps, igniting fires and driving hundreds into nearby wilderness refuges.
Local sources reported civilian deaths, widespread injuries, and extensive looting as homes in Shiri, Kadri, Korbla, and surrounding settlements burned.
The latest assault marks a sharp escalation in a conflict that flared last May over tribal border demarcation disputes.
Tensions quickly spiraled into open warfare between the SPLM-North and the Atoro tribe, leaving dozens dead and thousands destitute.
The media committee of the Atoro tribe condemned the deliberate bombardment of civilian centers and vowed to defend its lands.
Humanitarian conditions have collapsed, leaving women and children stranded in unforgiving valleys without access to food, clean water, or shelter.
In a statement, tribal representatives urged international human rights organizations to urgently investigate the violence and secure safe passage for aid.
The SPLM-North denied targeting civilians, maintaining its military operations strictly aim to neutralize armed rebel groups in the region.
