A town in Sudan’s North Darfur region controlled by paramilitary forces, according to medical personnel and local activists on Thursday.

The attack, which occurred on Wednesday, comes as drone warfare intensifies between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, who have been locked in conflict since April 2023.

A medical official, who spoke anonymously for safety reasons, confirmed that 12 bodies were brought to a hospital in Kutum. Among the victims were six children, including three female secondary school students.

The source also revealed that 16 people sustained injuries—many of them women and children—and are currently receiving treatment.

The El-Fasher Resistance Committee, a pro-democracy group, reported that the strike targeted the Al-Salama area, close to Al-Um Girls’ School, and accused the army of carrying out the attack.

Meanwhile, the United Nations recently disclosed that over 500 civilians were killed by drone strikes between January and mid-March alone. The organization warned about the growing danger posed by the use of advanced yet easily accessible weapons in densely populated communities.

As the conflict approaches its third year, it has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, forced more than 11 million people to flee their homes, and triggered what the UN describes as the largest displacement and hunger crisis in the world today.