Drone strike on Sudan mosque kills 78 as RSF presses Darfur offensive

A drone strike on a mosque in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher killed 78 people and wounded about 20 others, according to a senior medical source cited by BBC Verify. The attack occurred during morning prayers, amplifying concerns about the safety of civilians in a city that has become a focal point in the two-year-old civil war between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army. The strike's timing and location have prompted speculation about the potential targeting of noncombatants in a region already scarred by years of conflict.

BBC Verify has authenticated footage showing around 30 bodies wrapped in shrouds and blankets beside the mosque, which sits in the western part of el-Fasher. The medical source said the tally of dead and injured was still being updated as rescuers continued the difficult work of recovering bodies from the rubble. The wider city, home to more than 300,000 civilians, has been largely cut off as fighting and a siege constrain access to essential services and aid.

The attack comes as the RSF and the army have been waging a ferocious civil war for more than two years. The RSF, which has been pressing to seize el-Fasher—the last army stronghold in Darfur—has gained ground in the current offensive, increasing the sense of a widening split in the region. Observers say the city’s control would effectively tilt the balance of western Darfur toward the RSF. As fighting intensified, the RSF has reportedly targeted Abu Shouk, a camp for displaced people near the city, amid claims of a renewed push to capture the area.

Satellite imagery analyzed by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) indicates that RSF units now control much of Abu Shouk camp and have entered the headquarters of the Joint Forces, a coalition of armed groups aligned with the Sudanese army. The Joint Forces HQ sits in a former UN compound and has been described as a critical line of defense in the city. BBC verification shows RSF fighters inside the expansive complex, though it remains unclear whether the group has seized full control of the site. If the RSF holds the airport and the army division headquarters within range, the strategic implications for el-Fasher’s defense posture would be profound. HRL researchers caution that el-Fasher could fall to the RSF unless the Sudanese military receives urgent reinforcements. A full RSF capture of the city would consolidate a de facto split, with the army retaining control of the north and east while the RSF dominates the west and potentially the airport and surrounding military facilities.

Analysts and activists warn that continued advances could precipitate renewed targeting of civilians in areas under RSF influence. The UN has warned of an increasing ethnic dimension to the conflict, noting retaliations by both sides against communities perceived as collaborators with opposing factions. In its reporting, the UN and other international organizations have documented a pattern of ethnic cleansing directed at non-Arab communities in territories controlled by the RSF. In a recent briefing, doctors and humanitarian groups underscored the peril facing civilians as displacement and ethnic tension intensify in Darfur.

Doctors Without Borders, in a recent field report, said RSF troops spoke of plans to "clean El Fasher" of its non-Arab community, a characterization that underscores fears of ethnic-based violence in the city and surrounding areas. The RSF has publicly denied involvement in ethnic cleansing or in fomenting tribal conflict, asserting that it is fighting a national threat.

The violence in el-Fasher unfolds as international actors press for ceasefires and humanitarian access, while WARNINGS persist about the risk that any further escalation could redraw the map of western Darfur. The BBC Verify reporting aligns with broader assessments that the city’s strategic importance makes it a target for both military advantage and political signaling, even as civilians bear the brunt of the fighting. As of now, the full scale of the casualties and the situation on the ground remain fluid, with aid workers and medical teams under pressure to reach those injured and displaced.