16 Sudan civilians killed in Darfur rocket fire exchange

At least 16 people were reportedly killed in an exchange of rocket fire between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Darfur region, Al Jazeera reported. According to the local lawyers' union, it happened in the capital of the state of South Darfur, Nyala.

Besides, there were reports of snipers targeting people in West Darfur, including its capital of el-Geneina, near Chad, and tens of thousands of residents fleeing across the border, reported Al Jazeera. The Darfur Bar Association added that at least one man was killed by a sniper.

"Thousands of people continue to flee from the region of West Darfur and try to make it to the border into neighbouring Chad. That's in West Darfur where we've seen a high increase in violence with refugees who arrived in Chad, saying that they've been targeted by militias allied with the RSF based on their ethnicities," Al Jazeera reported citing Hiba Morgan. The war broke out in Khartoum on April 15 and according to a conservative estimate, it spread to Darfur later that month which got nearly 3,000 people killed across Sudan.

Morgan added, "The Darfur Bar Association is also worried that the fighting will expand and include other parts of south Darfur. There has been fighting there before. Civilians have been caught in the crossfire but this time, the association said that even those refugees or displaced people who are in camps as a result of 20 years in Darfur may be targeted as violence continues." Furthermore, residents also reported the first army air raids on villages in the Gezira state's north.

If fighting expands into Gezira, they may be forced to flee again, reported Al Jazeera. A couple of weeks back, the United Nations warned that Sudan could be on the verge of an all-out war after a weekend airstrike killed dozens in a residential area in the Sudanese city of Omdurman, CNN reported.

On July 8, at least 22 people were killed and many injured in a shelling attack, the country's health ministry said, as months of infighting between Sudan's rival military forces continue to rage on across the country. According to a statement from the health ministry, the assault took place in a residential area of Omdurman, the city next to the capital Khartoum and unknown numbers of individuals were injured in the attack.

Moreover, truce talks have been taking place in Saudi Arabia as both Burhan and Daglo representatives are present there. However, on Friday, the Khartoum government denied "any information concerning a near truce."