Kassala: Rampage by ‘drugged-up Sudanese soldier’ leaves 7 dead

Seven people have died, and others wounded, in a mass shooting at Khashm El Girba in south-western Kassala state on Sunday, after a ‘Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) officer’, attacked a passenger bus before rampaging through the town. Reports suggest he was either under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The alledged shooter was then wounded in an exchange of fire with a military force, who arrested him and a companion.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the soldier first opened fire on a bus carrying passengers to El Gedaref, killing the driver. He also fired at bystanders and security personnel near the scene. Three security personnel are among the dead.

The shooter then seized a motorcycle and drove towards the city centre, where he fired more shots, causing panic among residents. Witnesses say the shooter was wounded in an exchange of fire with a military force, who arrested him and a companion.

Mohammed Ishaq, executive director in charge of Khashm El Girba, which also hosts the El Girba refugee camp, confirmed in a press statement that the authorities were able to arrest the alleged shooter, as well as another person who was accompanying him, after an exchange of fire.

There are conflicting reports about the causes and motives of the incident. Several sources suggest that the soldier was under the influence of alcohol, while others allege that he had taken ‘drugs’ prior to the incident. These reports are hard to verify in the absence of hard forensic evidence.

Kassala state is witnessing widespread lawlessness, looting, and theft at the hand of heavily armed groups in the area.