In a horrifying attack, dozens were killed in the embattled city of El Fasher, Sudan, early Friday morning when a missile struck a mosque during dawn prayers, according to local medical personnel and aid organizations.
This recent strike marks one of the deadliest incidents in months within El Fasher, a city in the western Darfur region. Paramilitary forces have relentlessly escalated their brutal, nearly 18-month siege, bombarding residential areas where tens of thousands of civilians are desperately seeking refuge from widespread hunger.
A senior doctor from the nearby Al Saudi hospital, identified as Suleman, reported that at least 84 bodies, including those of women and children, were recovered from the devastated mosque. He recounted the scene via phone after personally visiting the site.
The doctor, who requested anonymity to safeguard his family, described the aftermath as “harrowing beyond description.”
An accompanying map visually represents the strategic location of El Fasher within Sudan’s Darfur region, highlighting the geographical context of the ongoing conflict. (Credit: By The New York Times)
The Al Jamia mosque, filled with worshipers for early morning prayers, bore the brunt of the missile impact. The doctor confirmed the authenticity of social media videos depicting the horrific aftermath, showing bloodied bodies entangled in rubble and twisted steel.
“I witnessed all of this and more,” he stated solemnly.
Tragically, Dr. Omar Selik, who had previously spoken with The New York Times about the desperate situation facing an estimated 260,000 trapped civilians in El Fasher, was among those killed. His passing was confirmed by a relative and Dr. Suleman, underscoring the severe challenges of surviving under constant bombardment with scarce food.
In a video call made from one of the city’s few remaining satellite connections, Dr. Selik revealed the harrowing reality: severely malnourished children were consuming food typically fed to camels and donkeys. He showed his own plate, which held the same meager, sludgy paste, lamenting the lack of alternatives.
“There is absolutely nothing else to eat,” he emphasized.
The siege of El Fasher is orchestrated by the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.), a paramilitary faction that has been embroiled in a civil war against Sudan’s military since April 2023. Following their expulsion from the capital, Khartoum, in March, the R.S.F. retreated to Darfur, a region that serves as their primary base and the origin of many of their combatants.
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, represents the final significant obstacle for the R.S.F. to achieve full control over the entire region.
Image: Residents in El Fasher, Sudan, queued for free meals last month. The city has been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2024. (Credit: Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
Following the publication of The New York Times’ report on Monday, Dr. Selik messaged to confirm that R.S.F. bombings had intensified near his home, located less than a mile from a besieged group of Sudanese military and allied forces. His message starkly read: “Now we are under attack again. Too much killing of people.”
In May, R.S.F. combatants started constructing a 20-mile-long earthen wall that now partially encircles El Fasher. They have systematically blocked the entry of food and medicine into the city, and reports indicate that some civilians attempting to escape have been beaten or fatally shot.
Earlier this month, U.N. human rights investigators declared that the R.S.F.’s actions in El Fasher constitute crimes against humanity.
A report from the Yale School of Public Health on Thursday, based on satellite imagery and other intelligence, suggests the R.S.F. now controls most of El Fasher. Researchers noted ongoing fierce fighting around a former U.N. peacekeeping base, which has become a stronghold for ethnic militias allied with the Sudanese military.
The R.S.F.’s offensive is supported by advanced, Chinese-made armed drones. Satellite images captured over El Fasher on Thursday reportedly showed some of these drones.
The United Arab Emirates, recognized as the primary foreign supporter of the R.S.F., has allegedly provided its forces with artillery, medical assistance, and Chinese-made drones. Some of these drones have been deployed in the siege of El Fasher, as previously reported by The New York Times. The U.A.E., however, refutes claims of supporting either faction in the conflict.