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Dozens Killed, Injured in Shelling on Residential Area in Sudan’s El Fasher

Destruction following the shelling in El Fasher, Sudan. (Social media)
Destruction following the shelling in El Fasher, Sudan. (Social media)
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Dozens Killed, Injured in Shelling on Residential Area in Sudan’s El Fasher

Destruction following the shelling in El Fasher, Sudan. (Social media)
Destruction following the shelling in El Fasher, Sudan. (Social media)

Artillery shelling renewed on Tuesday in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in western Sudan, targeting hospitals, displacement camps, and residential areas, local sources reported.

The attack resulted in several civilian casualties and dozens of injuries.

Earlier in the morning, Sudanese army warplanes carried out an airstrike on positions held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city’s eastern neighborhoods.

The “El Fasher Resistance Committees Coordination” stated on Facebook that the city also came under artillery fire from the RSF. Preliminary reports said at least two people were killed and dozens wounded.

The escalation comes after more than two weeks of reduced fighting between the army, its allied armed groups, and the RSF.

Residents of El Fasher told Asharq Al-Awsat that more people are fleeing the city due to indiscriminate shelling and a blockade that has caused prices to soar and shut down medical services.

The city faces severe shortages of drinking water and food, forcing thousands to seek safer areas.

Sources reported that large military reinforcements have arrived to support the joint forces defending El Fasher against RSF attempts to capture the city and take control of the western region.

In recent weeks, the RSF advanced into the city during heavy fighting and dug defensive trenches near the army's 6th Infantry Division headquarters.

The RSF claimed on X that more than 30 civilians were killed and dozens injured in an army airstrike on a town east of El Fasher.

Official figures show that more than 800 civilians have been killed or injured in El Fasher, which has been engulfed in the conflict between the army and RSF for four months.

The war in Sudan has led to the worst food crisis in the country’s history, with over half of the population suffering from severe hunger.

Millions are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, and over 755,000 people are in catastrophic conditions in Greater Darfur, South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile, Gezira, and Khartoum.

According to the United Nations and humanitarian partners, more than 188,000 people have been killed and over 33,000 injured since the conflict began in April 2023.

Over 10 million people have been displaced, including more than 5 million children, with over 2 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

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Arab World

Lebanon at Risk as Iran Uses Its Airspace, Israel Responds

Passengers stranded in the departure hall of Rafik Hariri International Airport following flight delays (DPA)
Passengers stranded in the departure hall of Rafik Hariri International Airport following flight delays (DPA)
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Lebanon at Risk as Iran Uses Its Airspace, Israel Responds

Passengers stranded in the departure hall of Rafik Hariri International Airport following flight delays (DPA)
Passengers stranded in the departure hall of Rafik Hariri International Airport following flight delays (DPA)

Lebanon found itself entangled in the latest flare-up between Israel and Iran, as its skies became a battleground for Iranian missiles and drones, and Israeli interceptor rockets throughout Friday night and into Saturday morning.

Residents across several towns and cities endured a tense and sleepless night, fearing the fallout of missiles potentially crashing into populated areas.

The country’s airspace, which was shut down Friday evening as a security precaution, was reopened at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, speaking from Beirut’s international airport during an inspection visit, said the facility would remain open “unless an emergency beyond our control arises”.

The Ministry of Public Works said in a statement that the airspace closure and accompanying emergency measures were taken “strictly for security reasons,” stressing that “the safety of passengers and airport facilities remains a top priority.”

Middle East Airlines (MEA), Lebanon’s national carrier, rescheduled several flights to and from Beirut after passengers were left stranded overnight at the airport due to cancellations and delays.

Lebanon’s skies have become a corridor for conflict in the intensifying Israeli-Iranian standoff, sparking growing fears among Lebanese officials and analysts who warn the country is losing control over its own airspace - and may be paying the price.

Beirut lacks the leverage to deter Iran from using its airspace to launch attacks on Israel, nor can it stop Israeli forces from intercepting drones and missiles mid-flight over Lebanese territory.

With Iranian projectiles and Israeli countermeasures crossing through the same skies, experts warn Lebanon faces mounting military and civilian risks as long as it remains entangled in the regional confrontation.

“The passage of Iranian missiles and drones through Lebanese airspace toward Israel presents serious military and security threats on multiple levels,” retired Brigadier General Saeed Al-Qazaz told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He warned that turning Lebanon into a de facto battleground increases the risk of missiles falling into populated areas -- as seen in the Bekaa Valley during the overnight bombardment between Friday and Saturday.

“Israeli attempts to intercept these threats over Lebanon could result in casualties on the ground, whether due to guidance malfunctions or fuel depletion. The fragmentation of these weapons is just as dangerous as a direct hit,” explained Al-Qazaz.

One missile reportedly landed late Friday in the outskirts of Beit Shama, west of Baalbek, sending shockwaves through the valley and stoking fears of further fallout.

Airspace Safety and Legal Concerns

Al-Qazaz also voiced grave concern over aviation safety, saying Lebanon’s crowded airspace could become a deadly zone for civilian aircraft.

“There is an immediate threat to air navigation, and the risk of a commercial aircraft being struck is real. That justifies the need to close the airspace entirely in such circumstances,” he said.

Using the airspace of a sovereign nation without consent, he added, constitutes “a flagrant violation of international law,” citing the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, which affirms a state’s sovereignty over its own skies.

He stressed that the Lebanese government bears responsibility and “must not allow missiles and drones to pass through its airspace without taking action”. International legal liability could arise if any damage is caused to third countries by these aerial operations.

At the same time, Al-Qazaz pointed out a double standard: “While Israel uses the airspace of Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq without consequence, these countries fail to respond or prevent such actions. Jordan, however, has recently intercepted projectiles to avoid international accountability”.

Calls for International Action

Despite Lebanon’s limited capacity to influence either side in the conflict, Al-Qazaz said the government could still lodge a formal complaint with the UN Security Council over repeated airspace violations.

“Lebanon can protest to the international community over the use of its skies by both Israel and Iran, even if no concrete outcome is expected,” he said.

“But remaining silent while missiles continue to pass overhead exposes Lebanon to greater danger, undermines its sovereignty, and drags it further into a military confrontation it did not choose”.

As tensions simmer and skies remain contested, Lebanon finds itself navigating a high-stakes crisis with few tools to shield its people, or its sovereignty.