Sudanese army targets RSF in Nyala; RSF says 30 civilians killed in market strike
The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) offer conflicting accounts of a drone and airstrike operation in Nyala on October 16, with reports of dozens of RSF combatants killed by army strikes contrasting the RSF’s claim that the attack hit a crowded livestock market, killing at least 30 civilians.
The Lead
On October 16, 2026, Sudan’s army launched a series of drone and airstrikes on Nyala, targeting Rapid Support Forces positions and command centers, while the RSF reports the attack hit a busy livestock market, killing at least 30 civilians.
Article Body
Contradictory accounts and civilian toll
On October 16, 2026, the Sudanese army conducted drone and airstrikes against RSF command centers and positions in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on RSF fighters and destroyed key facilities. Meanwhile, the Rapid Support Forces and its Tasees coalition asserted that the attack struck the Al‑Mawashi livestock market, densely populated at the time, killing at least 30 civilians—including 17 women and 5 children—and wounding dozens. The army has not addressed civilian casualties, while medical sources and rights monitors confirmed the market strike, highlighting the deadly urban impact of expanding drone warfare.
Strategic implications and humanitarian concerns
Nyala has served as a critical RSF stronghold since late 2023, making it a recurrent focus of Sudanese military operations. The October 16 strikes mark a significant escalation in drone-based targeting of populated urban areas. This aligns with broader intensification of aerial operations across Darfur and Kordofan, following military vows—including from army chief Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan—to reclaim all territory under RSF control. Civilian casualties in Nyala, now caught in the crossfire, underscore deepening humanitarian dangers in Sudan’s protracted civil war, widely regarded as among the world’s gravest.
What to watch next: Will further escalations in drone warfare around populated zones shift control dynamics in Darfur, and how will international actors respond to reports of civilian harm amid military offensives?