Scores killed in army air strike on North Darfur market in Sudan, locals say

Scores killed in army air strike on North Darfur market in Sudan, locals say

Scores of people were killed and dozens were injured in an air strike by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on a market in North Darfur last night, according to local activists.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed dozens of burned corpses, and smoke still rising from the ground. The footage was verified by the Centre for Information Resilience, a London-based non-profit group, which located the site to the village of Tora about 40 kilometres north of Al-Fasher, Reuters reported.

A deadly airstrike hit a crowded market in Tora, North Darfur, targeting civilians, mothers, children, and elders during peak hours.

This is not crossfire. This is a war crime.#DNHR is calling for urgent international action.

📍 Read the full report: https://t.co/9X48VEg6AI… pic.twitter.com/26n6cUAomp

— DNHR (@DNforHR) March 25, 2025

The location and date of the incident matched satellite imagery that showed a new burn scar on the eastern side of the village, the group said, adding it was one of the highest reported casualty numbers they had documented in Darfur since October 2024.

Lists of the dead and wounded provided by the Coordinating Committee for Refugees and Displaced People, an advocacy group in Darfur, included 84 people, at least 26 listed as dead.

Aid workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity told campaign group Avaaz, said “dead bodies are all over” and that the death toll is expected to rise.

The Emergency Lawyers human rights group said in a statement the strike “targeted an area densely populated with civilians” and constituted a “systematic war crime”. It said the Sudanese army was “fully responsible” and called for an independent investigation to “ensure that those responsible for these crimes are held accountable before international courts”. The group also told Avaaz that barrel bombs were used in the attack.

Tora is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are engaged in a power struggle with the Sudanese army.

The conflict has contributed to what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis that is only getting worse as aid deliveries are arbitrarily delayed.

Approximately half of Sudan’s population of 50 million faces acute hunger, predominantly in areas controlled or threatened by the RSF, with over 12.5 million people displaced due to the ongoing violence.

The RSF said the death toll in Tora surpassed 400, with hundreds more injured. The figures could not be independently verified.

READ: UN says 15,000 Sudanese households displaced from North Darfur town