General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) conducted a series of airstrikes using unguided bombs in the city of Nyala, South Darfur, in early February, killing scores of civilians in what Human Rights Watch on Tuesday called apparent war crimes.
The rights group said five strikes on February 3 hit residential and commercial neighborhoods in the city center, including near the Mecca Eye Hospital, killing dozens and injuring many more.
The munitions used — OFAB-250 and FAB-series bombs — are known for their wide-area effects and are not suitable for targeting military objectives in densely populated areas, HRW said.
“These attacks have killed scores of men, women, and children, destroyed families, and caused fear and displacement,” said Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, a senior researcher with the organization.
“The Sudanese military has hit densely populated residential and commercial neighborhoods in Nyala using inaccurate bombs.”
The strikes, part of a broader aerial campaign that escalated in late 2024, came as SAF sought to dislodge the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from Nyala, which they captured in October 2023. Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, is one of Sudan’s largest cities and a strategic RSF hub.
Human Rights Watch verified five airstrikes that occurred within 40 minutes on February 3. Among the dead were at least 13 children, according to medical workers and witnesses. Doctors Without Borders reported 32 deaths that day, while conflict tracker ACLED estimated between 51 and 74 civilians were killed from February 2 to 4.
One particularly deadly strike hit a crowded grocery store near the Mecca Eye Hospital, killing over 35 people, according to witnesses. Another bomb hit the central Congo Road, while two more destroyed homes in the Al-Jumhuriya neighborhood, killing entire families.
“The airstrikes are the worst, because they destroy everything,” said a daily laborer whose sister and nephew were killed. “When it comes to bullets, people can avoid them… but we cannot take cover from airstrikes.”
HRW’s investigation included interviews with 11 witnesses and victims, three medical staff, and analysis of videos, photographs, and satellite imagery. Images of bomb remnants confirmed the use of unguided munitions. Witnesses reported seeing a white cargo-style plane circle before the strikes, a method consistent with past SAF bombings.
International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks. “Deliberately or recklessly carrying out attacks that fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants is a war crime,” HRW said, urging countries to sanction Sudanese air force leaders and allow access to investigators from the UN and the International Criminal Court.
The SAF has not commented on the February 3 airstrikes.
On February 3 alone, bombs hit five sites: a busy street near the Nyala Teaching Hospital, residential homes in Al-Jumhuriya, and a grocery store near the Mecca Eye Hospital. Survivors described bodies “cut into pieces,” children killed while fetching water, and people trapped under rubble. In some cases, survivors were unable to afford treatment or surgery to remove shrapnel.
The February 3 attacks were part of a three-day campaign in which airstrikes were reported across the city. In total, 41 days of airstrikes were recorded between December 2024 and February 2025, with Nyala’s eastern neighborhoods — home to RSF positions — hit hardest.
Sudan’s war between the SAF and RSF began in April 2023, plunging the country into a humanitarian disaster. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, and rights groups have repeatedly documented indiscriminate bombings by the SAF.
“Despite international expressions of concern, civilians continue to bear the brunt of Sudan’s devastating two-year-old war,” Gallopin said. “Other countries need to take concerted action to protect civilians and prevent further indiscriminate attacks.”
