Dozens were killed when RSF-operated suicide drones struck Dilling, hitting both military and civilian sites, local media report. The strikes followed SAF claims that they had lifted an almost two-year RSF siege and reopened supply lines. Humanitarian groups warn of desperate shortages of medical supplies and food, while UN figures show tens of thousands fleeing Kordofan amid a widening displacement and hunger crisis. The ICC is investigating alleged war crimes by both sides.
Dozens Killed After RSF Suicide Drone Strikes Hit Strategic Town of Dilling, South Kordofan
Displaced people ride an animal-drawn cart, following RSF attacks on the Zamzam displacement camp in the town of Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan, on April 15, 2025 [Reuters]
Dozens of people were killed when suicide drones operated by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck the strategic town of Dilling in Sudan’s conflict-ravaged South Kordofan state, local media and medical sources reported.
What Happened
According to the Sudan Tribune, multiple areas of Dilling were hit during Wednesday’s assault, including the headquarters of the Sudanese army’s 54th Brigade and the central market. Local sources and medical groups reported both civilian and military casualties. Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the latest RSF attack.
Military Context
The strikes came a day after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), aligned with the government, said they had broken an almost two-year RSF siege on Dilling and reopened vital supply routes. Dilling sits roughly halfway between Kadugli, the besieged capital of South Kordofan, and el-Obeid, the capital of neighbouring North Kordofan — a city the RSF has attempted to encircle.
Since April 2023 the RSF and SAF have been locked in a brutal civil war that has killed thousands and displaced millions. Military sources quoted by the Sudan Tribune said the RSF appears to be attempting to reimpose a blockade on Dilling, while the SAF reportedly continues to hold the town and repel assaults near the nearby strategic town of Habila in North Kordofan.
Humanitarian Impact
Local health providers and the Sudan Doctors Network have issued urgent pleas for a humanitarian corridor to deliver life-saving food, medicine and medical supplies. Witnesses describe desperate conditions: severely limited health services, damaged infrastructure and critical shortages of essential supplies — notably intravenous fluids.
"Access is needed now to prevent further loss of life," the Sudan Doctors Network warned.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s leading authority on food insecurity, did not declare famine in Dilling in its November report because of insufficient data. However, a United Nations-backed assessment last year confirmed famine in Kadugli, which endured an RSF siege for more than a year and a half.
Wider Consequences
More than 65,000 people have fled the Kordofan region since October, according to the latest UN figures. At the conflict’s peak, roughly 14 million people were displaced internally or across borders. Thousands seeking safety have fled to neighbouring Chad, which now hosts more than 880,000 Sudanese refugees. Humanitarian funding is decreasing even as needs rise.
After being pushed out of Khartoum in March, the RSF has concentrated operations in the Kordofan region and in el-Fasher in North Darfur — which the RSF captured in October. Reports emerged after el-Fasher’s takeover alleging mass killings, sexual violence, abductions and looting; the International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened a formal investigation into alleged war crimes by both sides.
Outlook
Fighting and repeated drone strikes threaten to undo recent gains in humanitarian access and to worsen an already catastrophic displacement and hunger crisis. International agencies and local health networks continue to call for secure access and sustained funding to deliver aid to civilians trapped by the fighting.
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