2 civilians killed in RSF drone strikes on residential areas in El-Obeid, Sudan

At least two civilians were killed and 19 others injured in a series of drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El-Obeid, the capital of Sudan’s North Kordofan state, according to medical and news sources.

The Sudan Doctors Network, an independent medical group, reported that guided drones pounded several residential neighborhoods in El-Obeid from dawn until around midday on Sunday, 20 September 2026.

The strikes caused civilian casualties and damaged homes and infrastructure in the city, which has been subjected to repeated RSF drone attacks in recent months.

Local sources told Sudanese outlets that multiple “suicide” or loitering munitions targeted both military and civilian sites, including the army’s Fifth Division headquarters, areas near El-Obeid airport, and a Finance Ministry building, with loud explosions reported in the early morning hours.

El-Obeid has become a focal point in the wider Sudan conflict as the RSF has sought to encircle key towns in North Kordofan while the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have launched counter-offensives in the region.

Reports in recent days describe RSF drones hitting hospitals, schools, water points and fuel stations around El-Obeid, worsening the humanitarian situation and disrupting basic services.

The Sudanese army says it has intensified airstrikes and ground operations in North and West Kordofan to disrupt RSF supply lines and push the militia back toward Darfur.

The Sudan Doctors Network condemned the El-Obeid attacks as a violation of international law and warned that deliberate shelling of populated areas is deepening the city’s healthcare and humanitarian crisis.

As of the afternoon of 20 September, there had been no public comment from the RSF about the specific drone strikes on El-Obeid, according to Anadolu Agency’s report.