Mellit / El Fasher — Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) airstrikes killed three people yesterday in Mellit, North Darfur, as fierce fighting continued in the state capital, El Fasher. Mudasir Omar Bashir, a Sudanese Congress Party leading member and El Fasher Emergency Room activist, was detained on Friday, October 18, by Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) allied-forces.
SAF warplanes bombed Mellit, a town 65 kilometers from El Fasher, at 10.00 yesterday. According to a local source, the airstrikes killed three people, including a child, injured ten others, and destroyed several homes.
The bombing forced Mellit's main marketplace to close temporarily, while shelling hit the firewood and bread markets. Videos circulating on social media show scenes of the bombing aftermath.
Mellit has faced regular airstrikes since April, when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of the town, viewing it as a strategic hub for local and cross-border trade.
Detention and fighting
In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, an El Fasher Emergency Room contact informed Radio Dabanga that Sudanese Congress Party leading member Mudasir Karika was arrested at his family's home in Zamzam camp, south of El Fasher, by forces affiliated with the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by Minni Minawi, itself affiliated with the SAF.
According to the contact, Karika had recently relocated his family to Zamzam camp amid escalating violence in El Fasher and threats against civil society and activists. Despite promises of his release, he remains in detention at an undisclosed location, with his family unable to visit or send essential supplies.
Clashes between the SAF and the RSF continued yesterday in El Fasher. Local sources reported a brief lull before hostilities resumed in the afternoon, with shelling affecting the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people. Emergency room members reported multiple casualties and injuries due to artillery fire from RSF forces.
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), more than 410,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher over the past six months, many of whom have been forced to relocate multiple times due to the ongoing conflict.
