AL-MURRAH AREA, NORTH KORDOFAN — Sudan Doctors Network accused forces affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces of killing 27 civilians in attacks on villages in the al-Murrah area west of Barah town in North Kordofan on Thursday, the second day of Eid al-Adha. The medical group stated that the targeted area was free of any military presence.

The victims included elderly individuals, according to Sudan Doctors Network. The group said the attacks worsened already “catastrophic humanitarian conditions that citizens are enduring due to the ongoing war.” Sudan Doctors Network also stated that “targeting villages and civilian areas and liquidating citizens in this horrific manner constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.” The organization did not specify how the attacks were carried out but emphasized the civilian nature of the targeted communities.

The violence occurred during a broader war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023, following escalating tensions between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. Since then, the Kordofan region, where al-Murrah is located, has become one of the main epicenters of the conflict, with intensified fighting that includes drone warfare.

Both Darfur and Kordofan, regions rich in oil fields and gold mines, have seen extensive clashes. The Rapid Support Forces and its allies control parts of western Darfur and sections of Kordofan along the border with South Sudan. Fighting over strategic towns like Barah has been particularly fierce.

The war has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced approximately 13 million, according to widely cited estimates. More than 30 million people across Sudan are now in need of humanitarian assistance, and many areas face famine-like conditions. Aid groups caution that the true death toll may be higher due to limited access to conflict zones.

Both warring sides have been accused by the United Nations and human rights organizations of committing atrocities against civilians, including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and ethnic cleansing. The latest incident in al-Murrah adds to concerns about the targeting of non-combatants during major religious holidays and in areas reportedly devoid of military activity.