Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces shelled a hospital in the besieged city of El-Fasher in North Darfur and abducted six women and two children from a nearby displacement camp, rescuers and a medic said on Sunday.

In detail, according to a Sunday statement from The Emergency Response Room at the Abu Shouk camp near El-Fasher, RSF fighters stormed the site and abducted eight unarmed civilians: six women, a 40-day-old baby, and a three-year-old child, subsequently taking them to an undisclosed location. The rescuers stated that more than 20 camp residents were missing while also warning that the actual number could be higher.

A doctor, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said the bombardment, which continued into Sunday morning, caused damage to the emergency department and forced them to suspend operations. The hospital is one of the last remaining hospitals in the area.

Abu Shouk under RSF fire

Having lost Khartoum in March, the RSF has since stepped up its attacks on El-Fasher and the surrounding camps in an effort to tighten its hold on western Sudan, a region where it now controls most of the Darfur area.

Abu Shouk, which is home to tens of thousands of displaced people, has come under repeated attacks throughout this month.

On Thursday, El-Fasher's resistance committee, which is one of hundreds of volunteer groups documenting atrocities during the conflict, said the RSF shelled multiple locations in Abu Shouk and killed five members of the same family with a direct strike on their shelter.

The Emergency Response Room at Abu Shouk also stated on Thursday that hunger and disease were causing deaths at a rate of seven each week within the camp, adding that critical infrastructure has collapsed. 98% of the camp's water facilities are out of service due to fuel shortages and security risks.