A statement by the joint forces affiliated with the army indicated that the plane that carried out the raid was subjected to “jamming”, which led to the headquarters being bombed by mistake, while other accounts accused the army of deliberately bombing the headquarters with the aim of “neutralizing” the weapons stores that were a target for the Rapid Support Forces, in addition to thwarting an attempt by officers and soldiers to flee the city.
A statement attributed to the Joint Forces Command, which includes the army and allied armed movements, on the “X” platform, attributed the incident to “jamming” of one of the aircraft that carried out a number of airstrikes on the city of El Fasher.
According to the statement, the brigade headquarters was hit by an airstrike that killed a number of individuals after “a mistake occurred while the aircraft was carrying out airstrikes on Rapid Support Forces sites.”
The statement said that “the unintended bombing led to the killing of 5 individuals headed by the Sixth Division and the injury of 9 others,” but independent reports estimated the number of dead and injured at about 170, including senior officers.
But on the other hand, and in light of the great controversy that flared up after hundreds of civilians were killed in intensive air strikes during the past months, the Sudanese army continued to deny random targeting, and emphasized the accuracy and professionalism of its air strikes, and said that they were directed only at Rapid Support Forces sites.
Is it an “attempt to neutralize”?
In contrast, the army faces accusations of listening to the voices of political groups and tweeters who support it, who called on it to bomb weapons depots to prevent the Rapid Support Forces from benefiting from them.
A few hours after the fighting intensified in El Fasher, tweets spread on social media platforms calling on the army to bomb weapons depots at its headquarters in the city.
One of the tweeters wrote on his Facebook page: “The mistake that happened in the cities of Nyala (capital of South Darfur) and Zalingei (capital of Central Darfur) must not be repeated. If the army feels that the division is about to fall, it must deal with the division headquarters without any considerations. Ammunition and military equipment must not fall into the hands of the Rapid Support Forces.”
After the Rapid Support Forces advanced towards the division’s headquarters on Saturday, other tweets warned the army that the huge weapons stockpile at the headquarters could fall into the hands of these forces.
What’s happening in El Fasher?
The army forces intensified their air attacks on the city of El Fasher, coinciding with the events that the city witnessed during the past three days, amid ambiguity regarding the situation on the ground.
While the Rapid Support Forces launched an intensive attack that led to their advance on more than one front, the army’s air force bombed sites in the city, including its command headquarters. The bombing also targeted civilian areas, killing a large number of residents.
The National Observatory for Human Rights said that the aerial and artillery bombardment carried out by both sides of the fighting left dozens dead and wounded during the past few days, in addition to massive destruction of citizens’ homes and other damage to health and service institutions.
The Observatory accused warplanes of bombing neighborhoods in the center of Al-Fasher city and the Naivasha and Zamzam camps for the displaced, killing more than 40 civilians and seriously wounding dozens.
The Rapid Support Forces were also accused of killing and injuring dozens, due to the artillery shelling they carried out in those areas.
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