KHARTOUM, March 17 (Xinhua) -- At least seven civilians, including two children, were killed in artillery shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Omdurman city, north of Sudan's capital Khartoum, Khartoum State government announced on Monday.

"The systematic shelling" carried out by the RSF on Sunday has led to "the injury of 43 others, including 18 children aged between four and 12 years old," the state's media office said in a statement, noting that the wounded have been transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment.

It revealed that the shelling, targeting neighborhoods in the Karari locality, occurred during a volunteer prayer when the squares were filled with children playing football.

A paramedic at Al-Nao Hospital in Omdurman told Xinhua that most of the injured brought to the hospital had limb injuries caused by flying projectiles.

"Some of the injured underwent amputations, while others suffered head injuries that require medical intervention not available at the hospital," the paramedic, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

The RSF has issued no immediate comment regarding the incident.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) frequently accuses the RSF of bombing the Karari locality, the only area in Omdurman that remains densely populated, and also home to several Sudanese army bases, including the Wadi Seidna military area, which contains a military airport.

Sudan has been embroiled in a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which has claimed at least 29,683 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a crisis monitoring group cited by the United Nations.

The conflict has also displaced over 15 million people, both inside and outside Sudan, according to estimates from the International Organization for Migration. Enditem

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