Sudanese Army Warplanes Drop Barrel Bombs on West Darfur

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



Lebanese Army Says It’s Moving Troops into the Country’s South as Part of Ceasefire Plan

A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
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Lebanese Army Says It’s Moving Troops into the Country’s South as Part of Ceasefire Plan

A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)

The Lebanese army said on Wednesday it was moving additional troops into the country's south on Wednesday to extend state authority in coordination with the UN peacekeeping mission there.

“The concerned military units are moving from several areas to the South Litani Sector, where they will be stationed in the locations designated for them,” the Lebanese military said in its first statement since the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire went into effect.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli troops would pull out of Lebanon and Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani River, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border.

The ceasefire agreement gives Israel and Hezbollah fighters 60 days to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon near the border. Thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers will patrol the area, and an international committee will monitor compliance.

The Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines during the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah, although dozens of its soldiers have been killed amid the fighting.

Meanwhile, international aid groups welcomed the ceasefire and urge donors to provide funding to help rebuild parts of Lebanon and assist the displaced.

The aid groups are concerned about the aftershocks of the war on Lebanon’s already struggling economy. With more than 1.2 million people displaced, they warned that the damage would leave many struggling and without homes.

More than 100,000 homes have been either partially or fully destroyed across southern Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut, the International Rescue Committee said.

Mercy Corps said that half of Lebanon’s population now lives below the poverty line. It called on donors to fulfill pledges to support immediate humanitarian efforts and the long-term recovery.

“There will undoubtedly be a great deal of grief and trauma. Many will have no homes to return to, no schools for their children, and livelihoods destroyed,” Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary-General Jan Egeland said.