عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Sudanese Army Warplanes Drop Barrel Bombs on West Darfur

Sudanese fleeing violence in West Darfur (Reuters)
Sudanese fleeing violence in West Darfur (Reuters)
TT
TT

Sudanese Army Warplanes Drop Barrel Bombs on West Darfur

Sudanese fleeing violence in West Darfur (Reuters)
Sudanese fleeing violence in West Darfur (Reuters)

Sudanese army's warplanes on Sunday dropped barrel bombs on sites in the cities of Nyala and El Daein in the Darfur region, west of the country, killing and injuring a number of civilians, and destroying several public service facilities and residences.
“The coup warplanes and the remnants of the old regime bombed populated areas and committed a new violation,” the Rapid Support Forces said in a statement posted on their X account.
Local sources said the warplanes dropped explosive barrels on homes in El Geneina city in West Darfur, causing major destruction. A woman and four civilians were killed in the airstrike that hit the civilian neighborhood of Al-Naseem.
According to the same sources, the Army targeted areas situated far from the military positions where the RSF are positioned. They added that one of the barrels fell on a cemetery in the city.
Several eyewitnesses also said that the airstrikes destroyed dozens of nearby homes.
On Saturday night, the Sudanese Army warplanes bombed Nyala, the capital of South Darfur.
An RSF statement said the “treacherous army aircraft deliberately destroyed a women’s hospital, the customs building and nearby buildings and the main gas depot, causing major destruction.”
Also, tens of people were killed by random shelling, and significant damage was recorded in a number of residential buildings, the statement said.
“The RSF condemn these acts and practices that constitute war crimes,” it said, stressing that the fight against the remnants of the isolated regime will not stop.
Meanwhile, the Darfur Justice and Peace Initiative, an independent body, said that residents of Nyala and El Geneina, “woke up to the sounds of explosive barrels, which killed and injured a number of civilians, including women and children.”
In a statement, it denounced “the targeting of civilians on ethnic and regional grounds,” stressing that the residents of both cities have nothing to do with the war.
Separately, the Sudanese Army and the RSF exchanged artillery shelling in the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, amid a massive wave of displacement to other safe areas in light of difficult humanitarian conditions.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
TT
TT

Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)

A comparison of the current human and material losses from the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel conflict with those from the July 2006 war shows that current losses have doubled.

Experts warn that the reconstruction funds and aid pledged to Lebanon 18 years ago may have limited impact once the war ends.

Total Losses

Mohammad Shamseddine, a researcher from Information International, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the death toll has risen from 900 in 2006 to 2,865 in the current conflict (as of October 31, 2024), with the number increasing daily. The number of wounded was 4,000 in 2006, but it has now exceeded 13,047.

In 2006, 600,000 people were displaced, while today that number has surpassed 1.2 million. Of these, 189,174 are in shelters. A total of 358,133 Syrians and 172,604 Lebanese have fled to Syria, and 120,000 have sought refuge in other countries.

Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Amin Salam estimated that Lebanon’s total economic losses from the current conflict have reached $20 billion. However, economic associations report direct losses between $10 billion and $12 billion, covering damage to key sectors, homes, buildings, and infrastructure.

These figures align with estimates from Shamseddine, who believes direct and indirect losses are around $10 billion.

Of this, $4 billion occurred from October 8, 2023, to September 17, 2024 (when the conflict was mostly limited to the south), and $7 billion from September 17 to October 31, 2024, after Israel expanded the war. For comparison, losses during the 2006 war totaled $5.3 billion.

In 2006, infrastructure damage was valued at $900 million, higher than the current war's $570 million in infrastructure losses.

Housing losses in 2006 totaled $2.2 billion, while they have now surpassed $4.26 billion. Mohammad Shamseddine points out that commercial losses were similar in both conflicts, at $4.7 million.

Agricultural and environmental losses in 2006 were $450 million, but now exceed $900 million. Indirect economic damages were $1.2 billion in 2006, while they have now surpassed $3.38 billion.

One notable difference is the number of airstrikes: from October 8, 2023, to October 31, 2024, there were 11,647, compared to just 3,670 during the 33-day 2006 war.