5 killed, including child, in shelling by RSF-aligned group in southern Sudan: Medics

Five people, including a child, were killed and others injured in artillery shelling by an armed group aligned with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Dilling, South Kordofan state in southern Sudan, a medical group said Friday.

The Sudanese Doctors Network said on US social media company X that the attack targeted civilian facilities and neighborhoods in the southern and western parts of the city.

It accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu and aligned with the RSF, of shelling Dilling on Friday morning.

It described the attack as “a clear violation of international norms prohibiting attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

The SPLM-N faction led by al-Hilu is an armed group that controls areas of the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan.

In February 2025, it joined the RSF and other political and armed groups in signing a charter in the Kenyan capital Nairobi to establish a parallel authority in Sudan.

The alliance announced the formation of a presidential council for the parallel administration in July 2025, headed by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, with al-Hilu appointed as his deputy.

Dilling, South Kordofan’s second-largest city, remained under siege by the RSF and SPLM-N for nearly two years.

The Sudanese army announced on Jan. 26 that it had reopened the road to the city following an operation.

Despite the lifting of the siege, Dilling has continued to face artillery shelling and drone attacks amid clashes between the Sudanese army on one side and the RSF and SPLM-N on the other.

South Kordofan has witnessed escalating fighting in recent months, becoming one of the main fronts in the conflict.

The war between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted on April 15, 2023, following disagreements over the transitional process and the paramilitary group’s integration into the armed forces. The conflict later spread across large parts of the country.