Drone strike near courthouse in central Sudan kills 12

Members of Sudan's armed forces take part in a military parade held on Army Day. [AFP]

A drone strike blamed on Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed 12 people outside a courthouse in the army-held town of Umm Rawaba in North Kordofan on Tuesday, a medical source told AFP.

The attack is the latest in an escalating wave of drone strikes by both the RSF and the Sudanese army, which have been at war since April 2023.

The strike hit an area outside the courthouse where residents had gathered to complete legal and administrative procedures, witnesses told AFP.

"I was near the courthouse when I saw the drone hit a tree outside the building" one witness told AFP, adding that the area was crowded with people at the time.

Another witness said residents rushed to help those caught in the blast.

"After the drone hit, we tried to save people, but some died at the scene," he said. "The sound of the explosion was very loud."

Umm Rawaba, which lies along a strategic route linking central and western Sudan, has remained under army control despite repeated attacks in the surrounding region.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF.

The war has killed more than 200,000 people, aid workers estimate, displaced millions and created the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.