At least 40 people in Sudan have been killed in a drone strike that targeted a funeral taking place outside the army-held city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan state, officials and activists say.
They blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for Monday's attack on al-Luweib village as mourners had gathered in a tent. The RSF has not yet commented.
Many reportedly died before getting to a hospital in el-Obeid, a strategic city that connects the capital, Khartoum, to the western region of Darfur.
Fighting has intensified in this oil-rich Kordofan area, and around 20,000 people fled to el-Obeid last week after the RSF captured Bara town, 30km (18 miles) north of the city.
The town fell at the same time as the city of el-Fasher, which had been the army's last stronghold in Darfur.
Since the RSF's capture, reports of mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and widespread looting in el-Fasher have emerged, prompting the UN to warn of summary executions of civilians by RSF fighters.
Such atrocities could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, as warned by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The RSF has promised to investigate violations but has denied the allegations that the killings are ethnically motivated.
Meanwhile, el-Fasher residents are reportedly suffering from famine due to the RSF's blockade, with the UN indicating that it is one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
UN chief António Guterres has called for an immediate halt to the violence in Sudan, emphasizing the worsening humanitarian situation.
A Sudanese government source has revealed that authorities are considering a US proposal for a truce amidst ongoing violence and failed peace negotiations.
The North Kordofan Resistance Committee reported that the drone strike occurred on Monday while citizens were at the funeral.
Since the onset of civil conflict, more than 150,000 people have died, and around 12 million have been displaced, marking an unprecedented crisis in Sudan.
