3 civilians killed as RSF militia bombs El-Obeid city in North Kordofan, Sudan

At least three civilians were killed and 20 others wounded early Friday when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled the city of El Obeid (Al-Ubayyid), the capital of North Kordofan state in central Sudan, according to sources cited by Al Jazeera and reported by local monitoring accounts.

The attack occurred at dawn on September 25, 2026. Details on the exact nature of the shelling—whether artillery, drones, or another method—were not immediately specified in the initial reports, though the RSF has frequently used drones in recent strikes on the city and surrounding areas.

El Obeid has been a major flashpoint in Sudan’s ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, which began in April 2023. The city and North Kordofan more broadly have faced repeated RSF drone and artillery attacks in recent months, hitting residential neighborhoods, civilian infrastructure, and military sites, contributing to a severe humanitarian crisis.

Casualty figures from the Friday incident have not yet been independently verified by international organizations. The broader conflict has already killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies.