Khartoum, Sep 2026 : At least 26 people, including women and children, were killed and dozens injured in two separate attacks in Sudan’s South Kordofan State, according to multiple sources.
The Sudan Doctors Network, a volunteer medical group, said more than 21 people were killed and several others injured on Thursday afternoon after forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) attacked the areas of Debi and Luwairi, located south and west of Kauda.
In a separate incident early Friday, five people, including a child, were killed and several others wounded after artillery shelling by SPLM-N forces struck residential areas in the city of Dilling, the network said.
The Sudan Doctors Network condemned the attack on Debi and Luwairi, describing it as a violation of a ceasefire agreement reached in late August. It also accused SPLM-N forces of deliberately targeting civilians.
A medical source at a rural hospital in Debi told Xinhua that more than 20 bodies and 11 injured people had been brought to the facility following the attack. The source said civilians were also fleeing the area amid growing fears that the security situation could deteriorate further and worsen already severe humanitarian conditions.
In Dilling, an eyewitness said artillery shells struck residential neighbourhoods, killing around five civilians and injuring more than seven others. The attack added to concerns over the safety of civilians caught amid renewed fighting in the state.
SPLM-N has not issued any immediate response to the allegations or commented on the reported attacks.
Established in 2011, the SPLM-N controls parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. The group has remained involved in the broader conflict that has engulfed Sudan, with Kordofan emerging as one of the key areas of confrontation.
Fighting in Sudan’s Kordofan states has involved the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on one side and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and SPLM-N on the other. The violence forms part of the wider conflict that erupted in April 2023 between the SAF and RSF.
The prolonged war has devastated Sudan, resulting in widespread displacement, destruction of infrastructure and a severe humanitarian crisis. Thousands of people have been killed since the conflict began, while millions have been forced to flee their homes, either seeking refuge in other parts of the country or crossing international borders.
The latest attacks in South Kordofan underscore the continuing risks faced by civilians as fighting persists across several regions. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that renewed violence could further restrict access to food, healthcare and other essential services, particularly in conflict-affected rural communities.
The reported breach of the late-August ceasefire has also raised concerns over the prospects for reducing violence in South Kordofan. With civilians continuing to bear the brunt of the fighting, the latest casualties are likely to intensify calls for protection of non-combatants and sustained humanitarian access to affected areas.
