Women, children among 62 killed in airstrikes in Omdurman
Women, children among 62 killed in airstrikes in Omdurman
More civilians than combatants killed in barrel bomb attacks
A devastating airstrike by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Saturday evening killed at least 60 civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, in Omdurman, just across the Nile from Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. The airstrikes targeted crowded market areas, leveling shops and leaving widespread destruction in their wake.
A local resident from Ombada reported that the SAF initially targeted the Amiriya neighborhood with airstrikes, resulting in the immediate deaths of 42 people. The death toll later rose to 51 as more victims succumbed to their injuries. The attack, which employed explosive barrel bombs, left around 230 civilians wounded, many of whom suffered severe injuries.
Later, SAF drones launched another round of airstrikes on Gandahar Market in Ombada, killing at least 11 people, including three children from the same family. The airstrike reduced nearby homes to rubble, with one family’s tragedy becoming painfully visible on camera as the children’s father wrapped his son’s charred body in a white cloth, a scene that underscored the devastating impact of the attack.
In an emotional moment captured on video, the grief-stricken father, struggling through tears, identified his son, saying, “His name is Hassan Ahmed Mohammed Hussein. His brothers are also here. Three of them died.”
Another wounded victim, a woman lying on the ground, identified herself in the video as Araba Abakr from Al Jazira state. In the footage, the cameraman is heard noting that more people are trapped in the flames, at one point saying, “This is a person burned by the fire.” He warns bystanders to keep back as bullets, ignited by the flames, crackle in the background.
“This won’t put you on the right side, Burhan,” he says, addressing the de facto Sudanese ruler and SAF commander-in-chief Abdelfattah Al-Burhan. “You’re only killing innocent civilians—civilians, children, the elderly, and women.”
In the video below, a bystander captures the aftermath of the airstrike in Ombada. Several additional videos contain distressing scenes and cannot be published.
The Resistance Committees of West Ombada neighborhoods released a statement condemning what they described as a deliberate and brutal attack by the SAF on civilians in the Al-Amiriya area, west of Omdurman.
According to the statement, SAF warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on Saturday evening, dropping over 11 barrel bombs on densely populated areas, including homes and markets. The assault left 49 people dead—many of them women, children, and elderly residents—and injured hundreds more. Alongside the heavy human toll, the bombing flattened over 160 homes, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble.
The statement condemned these attacks as a “full-scale war crime” and described graphic scenes documented by cameras at the scene, showing dismembered bodies and burned remains of victims. It demanded that SAF hold accountable the leaders responsible for ordering attacks on civilian areas, stressing that justice must be served to prevent further atrocities.
“The Sudanese army’s warplanes carried out several airstrikes on Saturday evening, targeting Al-Amiriya, west of Omdurman. The bombardment dropped more than 11 explosive barrels onto homes and civilian areas, killing 49 people—most of whom were women, the elderly, and children. Hundreds were wounded, and over 160 homes were destroyed. Cameras captured horrifying images and videos of dismembered bodies and charred remains, scenes that can only be described as a full-scale war crime.”
“The Resistance Committees of West Omdurman and Ombada areas strongly condemn these criminal acts, mourn the innocent victims, and call for the prosecution of army leaders involved in these massacres to ensure justice and end impunity for perpetrators.”
The Sudanese army’s aerial attacks recall grim stories of murder and genocide in South Sudan, Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, as well as similar recent atrocities in Al-Koma, Malit, Al-Jazeera, and Sennar during this ongoing war.
The SAF have intensified their airstrikes since October, leading to a significantly higher civilian death toll than intended RSF combatant targets, according to a report by the Darfur Initiative for Justice and Peace, a local initiative aimed at documenting war-related deaths. In the report, released on November 2, 2024, the organization tallied at least 1,848 civilian deaths, 1,091 injured, and 417 residential properties and shops were destroyed due to SAF airstrikes throughout October and early November.
The report highlighted major incidents in specific localities, stating that 350 people were killed in Koma and 70 in Melit, both in North Darfur State. Other areas were also severely affected, including Hamrat Sheikh in North Kordofan and Al-Hasahisa in Al-Jazira State. The organization further accused the SAF of targeting civilians on an ethnic basis, particularly in Dinder, Sennar State.
According to the Darfur Initiative, the SAF launched a series of heavy attacks in Dinder during this period, culminating on October 23 when the army announced it had officially regained control of the area. This escalation has raised alarm among international observers and rights groups, who have called for urgent measures to protect civilians and ensure accountability for indiscriminate attacks.
News in Brief
Sudans Post reported on November 3, 2024, citing a South Sudanese army officer, that soldiers from the SAF, specifically from the 92nd Brigade (Meiram) of the 22nd Infantry Division, who fled to South Sudan after their base was overrun by the RSF in early July, have been transported back to Sudan. Lt. Col. Alberto Bol, head of Moral Orientation for the 3rd Infantry Division of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, stated that over 300 SAF troops who had sought refuge in Aweil East County were transferred to Juba, where they were handed over to the Sudanese embassy in the capital Juba and subsequently flown back to Sudan.
Sudan has cancelled an agreement with the United Arab Emirates that was aimed to develop the Abu Amama port on the Red Sea coast. Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, speaking during a press conference on Sunday, cited what he described as “ongoing Emirati support for the Rapid Support Militia.” Jibril said that the agreement was worth $6 billion, but did not disclose as to when it was signed, according to the state news agency SUNA.
An armed group reportedly trained in Eritrea has deployed its forces in Sudan’s eastern Kassala State, according to a media reports. The deployment, which took place on Tuesday in close coordination with the Sudanese Armed Forces, has raised concerns among local civilians. The newly formed group calls itself the “Eastern Corps.”
A total of 24 civilians were killed in Hilaliya village, Al Jazira State, on Sunday when the RSF attacked the village. According to local sources, 13 people were killed during a door-to-door search by RSF soldiers, while 11 others were killed separately inside mosques. Hilaliya lies approximately 75 kilometers northeast of Wad Medani, the state capital.
Report by Darfur Initiative for Justice and Peace
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