Khartoum, Jan 26 (NationPress) A minimum of 68 individuals have lost their lives and 19 others sustained injuries due to an artillery strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, western Sudan, as reported by a non-governmental organization.

According to the Sudanese Doctors Network, the assault, described as a new massacre by the RSF in El Fasher, involved a missile strike on the Saudi Hospital, resulting in the deaths of 68 patients and their companions, along with injuries to 19 others.

Additionally, the Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher, a local NGO, corroborated the RSF's attack on the Saudi Hospital, reporting a toll of 68 fatalities and numerous injuries, as per the Xinhua news agency.

They highlighted that the assault led to the complete destruction of the hospital's emergency department, rendering it entirely inoperative.

The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minnawi, condemned the RSF's actions, stating, 'The targeted section was the sole provider of healthcare services to the residents of El Fasher,' in a post on social media platform X.

Earlier, a government official noted that at least 18 civilians were killed and five others injured in an RSF attack on a village in North Darfur State, western Sudan.

According to Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of the state's health department, 'On Saturday, the RSF militia executed a massacre in Jebel Hilla village, east of Um Kadada district in North Darfur,' denouncing the organized targeting of civilians by the RSF as a breach of international laws and norms.

Khatir called upon the United Nations and other global organizations to step in and ensure accountability for the perpetrators.

Since mid-April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, which has resulted in at least 27,000 fatalities and displaced over 15 million people, according to international organizations.