attributing the bloodshed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The RSF had claimed to have taken control of the town in the flashpoint Kordofan region, calling it "a significant shift in field operations". "The Rapid Support Forces attacked the Umm Arda area on Friday, southwest of El Obeid," the NGO Emergency Lawyers said. The attack resulted in "the killing of more than 14 civilians and the wounding of dozens, while the area is witnessing a wave of displacement of civilians". A source within the Sudanese army told AFP that the army had repelled two attacks carried out in the Umm Arda and Jabal al-Hashaba areas, "inflicting losses" against the RSF.

AFP was unable to independently verify the details and outcome of the fighting due to the difficulty of accessing the area and disruptions to communication networks. The Emergency Lawyers, a rights group that has documented atrocities on both sides of the war, warned of "the worsening of the humanitarian catastrophe in areas already suffering from a siege and a lack of basic services", adding that humanitarian aid was also suspended in several areas. The NGO Save the Children said on Friday that approximately 40,000 children have fled to El Obeid to escape fighting in North Kordofan, reporting a "significant increase in cases of child malnutrition" and "severe food shortages" in two camps where the group supports displaced people. A water shortage is compounding the crisis, the group said, and "some families spend nearly half of their day searching for water". The war, now in its fourth year, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. The army holds sway in Sudan's central and eastern regions, while the Darfur region in the west and parts of the south are under RSF control. (Bssnews)