In a devastating escalation of Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict, coordinated drone strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in the army-held town of Kalogi, South Kordofan state, resulting in one of the deadliest single incidents since fighting began. The triple assault, which occurred on Thursday, systematically hit a kindergarten followed by a medical facility and then struck again as rescuers attempted to evacuate children from the rubble.
Local administrator Essam al-Din al-Sayed, communicating via Starlink due to severed conventional communications, confirmed to AFP that the attacks were executed with precision timing to maximize casualties. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) verified that over 10 children between ages five and seven perished in the kindergarten bombing, while Sudan’s foreign ministry placed the total death toll at 79 civilians, including 43 children.
The Sudanese government has attributed responsibility to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction under Abdelaziz al-Hilu. This allegation comes as the RSF expands its offensive beyond its recent capture of El-Fasher—the army’s final western stronghold—into the strategically vital and oil-rich Kordofan region.
UN representatives have condemned the attack as a gross violation of international humanitarian law. UNICEF Representative for Sudan Sheldon Yett emphasized that ‘targeting educational facilities where children seek safety constitutes an egregious breach of fundamental human rights,’ while demanding immediate humanitarian access to the affected regions.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the national army and RSF paramilitaries, has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced nearly 12 million people. The Kordofan region has become the latest flashpoint, with over 40,000 residents fleeing in the past month alone according to UN estimates. Military analysts suggest the RSF’s eastern push aims to dismantle the army’s defensive perimeter around central Sudan, potentially setting the stage for assaults on major urban centers including the capital Khartoum.
Verification of battlefield reports remains severely hampered by communication blackouts, restricted access for journalists and aid workers, and persistent security threats throughout the region.