Devastation in Darfur: Drone Strike on Sudan Mosque Claims 78 Lives

Fri Oct 10 2025 19:46:44 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A catastrophic drone attack on a mosque in Sudan's Darfur region highlights the escalating violence as paramilitary forces clash for control. Eyewitnesses describe chaos as the strike hits during morning prayers, with casualties confirmed at 78.

A recent drone strike on a mosque in el-Fasher, Sudan, has resulted in at least 78 fatalities, according to medical sources. The attack, attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), occurred during morning prayers, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region as the RSF intensifies its offensive against the Sudanese army. The situation remains dire for the civilians trapped in the conflict, with fears of ethnic targeting emerging amid the ongoing violence.

More than 70 people have been killed following a drone strike on a mosque in Sudan's Darfur region, a senior medical source has told the BBC.

Friday's attack in the city of el-Fasher has been blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), although the group has not claimed responsibility. The RSF and the army have been engaged in a brutal civil war for over two years, with the paramilitaries now attempting to seize control of el-Fasher.

The drone struck during morning prayers, killing many instantly. Local reports provide a toll of 78 dead and around 20 injured, with the recovery of bodies still ongoing. Gory footage verified by BBC shows numerous casualties wrapped in shrouds beside the ruin of the mosque.

This offensive marks a renewed surge by the RSF to capture El Fasher, which has been besieged for more than a year, endangering over 300,000 civilians trapped in the city. The RSF's advances could shift the balance of power in the region and create more volatile conditions for the local population, particularly as ethnic tensions rise amidst the conflict.

A recent UN report warns of an increasing ethnic component to the violence, with both sides retaliating against perceived collaborators. Human rights organizations have recorded systematic displacement and threats against non-Arab communities by RSF units.

The strikes and assaults threaten to lead to polarizing shifts in control in Darfur, with analysts fearing for the well-being of civilians caught in this escalating conflict.