KHARTOUM: The death toll from a drone strike on civilian areas in Kalogi, South Kordofan State, southern Sudan, on Thursday has risen to 114, the state government said on Sunday.

“So far, the number of victims has exceeded 114 deaths, including 63 children, along with around 71 injured,” Governor Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel Karim said in a statement. He added the toll could rise further, as some critically injured victims have been transferred to hospitals outside Kalogi due to limited local medical services.

Sudanese authorities accused the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, of coordinating with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to carry out the strike, which they said targeted a civilian area.

Volunteer groups initially reported nine deaths and seven injuries from the attack, blaming the RSF and the SPLM-N, which control large areas of South Kordofan. On Friday, the state government raised the toll to 79. Neither the RSF nor the SPLM-N has commented on the strike.

Fighting between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. UN agencies have warned that violence in the Kordofan region has recently escalated, driving large-scale displacement and civilian suffering.