The Sudan Doctors Network announced on Friday that 27 people, including elderly residents, were killed in an attack by the "Rapid Support Forces" on villages in the Al-Marra area, west of the city of Bara in Sudan's North Kordofan state, during the second day of Eid al-Adha.

The network said in a statement that the "Rapid Support Forces" targeted several villages in the area, leading to the deaths of 27 civilians, noting that the area did not have any military presence.

The network described the attack as a "new crime targeting unarmed civilians," adding that the attack on villages and civilian areas and killings of citizens constitute "a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and international norms and conventions prohibiting attacks on civilians".

The Sudan Doctors Network also warned that "the continuation of attacks on villages and safe residential areas contributes to worsening the humanitarian crisis witnessed in Sudan".

It added that the attacks lead to increasing numbers of displaced people, the expansion of human suffering, and the loss of livelihoods. 

The network called on the international community and human rights and humanitarian organisations to "condemn these violations, take urgent steps to protect civilians, and work to stop the repeated attacks on residential areas by pressuring the leadership of the Rapid Support Forces to stop violations against civilians".

The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which were previously part of the Sudanese army, have been engaged in armed conflict since 15 April 2023.

According to United Nations figures, the war in Sudan has killed, injured and displaced millions of civilians.

Recent months have seen an increase in reciprocal drone attacks between the two sides, which have hit several states and caused numerous civilian casualties. The New Arab, Khartoum