DILLING — The Rapid Support Forces and their allies in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North launched a major offensive on Saturday on Dilling, the capital of South Kordofan province. At least 14 people were killed in the attack, including five children and two women, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.

The paramilitary forces and their allies shelled residential areas in Dilling, the Sudan Doctors Network said. The hourslong attack wounded at least 23 others, including seven children, according to the medical organization.

The Sudanese military said it fended off the attack on Dilling. The assault occurred as the city faced severe shortages of essential supplies.

Residents of Dilling had faced severe food shortages after more than two years of siege by the RSF, during which the paramilitaries cut off supplies and frequently bombed the area. The Sudanese military broke the siege of Dilling earlier this year.

The Sudan Doctors Network warned that Dilling could experience a situation similar to the one in the Darfur city of el-Fasher. Fighting has recently centered in Darfur and the Kordofan region, and most reported daily attacks there have been carried out by drones.

Sudan descended into open conflict in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in Khartoum. The war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures.

More than 500 civilians were killed in drone strikes in Sudan by mid-March 2026, the U.N. Human Rights Office said. The International Criminal Court is investigating crimes committed during the war as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. Crimes including mass killings, gang rape and other offenses have been committed during the war in Sudan.