A drone strike in Sudan’s North Darfur state has killed at least 12 civilians, including six children, according to medical sources and local activists.

The attack occurred on Wednesday in Kutum, a town under the control of the Rapid Support Forces, amid intensifying clashes with the Sudanese army.

Medical officials reported that the victims included six children, among them three female secondary school students, while 16 others, mostly women and children, sustained injuries and are receiving treatment.

A pro-democracy group, the El-Fasher Resistance Committee, said the strike hit the Al-Salama neighbourhood near a girls’ school and blamed the Sudanese army for the incident.

The violence comes as drone warfare escalates between the army and the RSF, who have been locked in conflict since April 2023.

The United Nations recently warned that drone attacks have killed more than 500 civilians between January and mid-March alone, highlighting the growing dangers posed by the use of advanced but accessible weaponry in densely populated areas.

The ongoing war has triggered a devastating humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands killed and over 11 million people displaced, making it the world’s largest displacement and hunger emergency, according to the UN.