Khartoum [Sudan], October 13: The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said on Sunday that more than 100 fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were killed in battles in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan.
In a statement, the SAF's 6th Infantry Division said it had "successfully repelled a fierce attack launched by the militia on the city of El Fasher early Sunday."
"Our forces bravely confronted the attackers, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment, with more than 100 militia fighters killed and others wounded," it added.
According to the statement, the RSF launched the assault with infantry, combat vehicles, and two tanks, under cover of heavy weapons fire.
On Saturday, Sudan's Foreign Ministry reported that drone strikes by the RSF killed 57 civilians at a temporary shelter in El Fasher.
However, the RSF on Sunday denied responsibility for the bombing.
In a statement, RSF spokesperson Al-Fateh Qurashi said, "We categorically deny the false claims being circulated regarding the deaths of civilians as a result of an air or artillery strike targeting a displacement shelter in the city of El Fasher."
Denise Brown, UN resident coordinator in Sudan, on Sunday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the repeated and deliberate targeting of civilians in North Darfur.
"Hospitals, shelters, and places of refuge must not be targeted. I reiterate my previous appeal for respect for international humanitarian law and an immediate end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure," the UN official said in a statement.
Violent clashes have been ongoing in El Fasher since May 2024, between the SAF and allied forces on one side and the RSF on the other, with fighting intensifying in recent days.
The conflict between the SAF and RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, further deepening the country's humanitarian crisis.
Source: Xinhua News Agency