North Darfur airstrike fells 7 herders, 250+ camels

Seven herders were killed, two others injured, and more than 250 camels died in an air strike carried out by the Sudanese Air Force near Mellit, north of the North Darfur capital of El Fasher, at midnight Thursday.

A reliable source told Radio Dabanga that the dead were all relatives from two families from the Kutum area, whose herders regularly came to Mellit to water their camels.

He added that he personally counted 257 dead camels after the air raid, in addition to the wounded ones, that were euthanised by local people.

The source could not be sure whether the raid was carried out by fighter aircraft or drones, as he says that people did not see the approaching air raid. They were awakened by the sound of three very heavy explosions, and rushed to the impact site in the valley, where they found the dead and wounded camels.

Air raids on Mellit have been ongoing during the recent period after the Rapid Support Forces seized the city of Mellit on April 15, following fierce battles with the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied forces of the Darfur movements.

Mellit is characterised by its strategic location that enables those who control it to control the road to Ed Debba in Northern State to Darfur, as well as the road from El Fasher to Libya.

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