‘RSF down Turkish-made drone in South Darfur’

Sources claim that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot down a Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) drone over Mershing, South Darfur, this morning after it bombed the nearby Manawashi market, killing at least two people and injuring others.

Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that the drone strike killed a woman and an RSF soldier. A market worker and another woman sustained injuries and were rushed to hospital.

RSF anti-aircraft fire brought down the drone, which ignited mid-air before crashing into a neighbourhood of Mershing, 15 kilometres from the market. Residents said the crash caused no further casualties or damage. 

Videos sent to Radio Dabanga show the aircraft ablaze as it plunged from the sky under heavy fire.

Field commanders from the RSF claimed the aircraft was a Turkish-made “Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı” drone, though Radio Dabanga could not independently verify this.

Reports also indicated that the SAF launched drone attacks on South Darfur’s capital of Nyala, twice this week.

The first strike on Saturday killed and injured dozens, according to eyewitnesses, while the second strike on Tuesday left an unconfirmed number of casualties. 

The first attack coincided with the swearing-in of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ‘Hemedti’ as President of the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasees) RSF-aligned parallel government or ‘founding government’.

Eyewitnesses said a rocket, believed to have been fired from a drone, hit the crowded Yashfin Specialised Hospital, killing at least 35 patients and companions. 

The death toll is expected to rise. The SAF has not claimed responsibility for the drone attack.

The RSF has previously shot down warplanes and drones in both North and South Darfur, forcing the SAF to limit its use of aircrafts around El Fasher.

Pro-army sources indicate that the RSF has deployed a highly efficient anti-aircraft system in Nyala. Jakud Makwar, deputy head of the SPLM-N, had earlier claimed the arrival of anti-aircraft aircraft in Darfur, confirming that they would soon reach the areas controlled by the movement.

Satellite imagery also showed the presence of a sophisticated air defence system at Nyala airport.