Seven Killed in SPLM-N Shelling on Dilling, South Kordofan

17 December 2025

A building destroyed by shelling in Dilling, South Kordofan, Sudan, October 11, 2025.

December 17, 2025 (DILLING) – At least seven people were killed and dozens injured on Wednesday when the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) launched heavy artillery fire at Dilling in South Kordofan state, local sources said.

The shelling, described as the most intense in recent months, targeted western neighbourhoods of South Kordofan’s second-largest city, sparking widespread panic. In response, local authorities closed the main market, schools, and government offices, and banned public gatherings until further notice.

Dilling has been under a dual siege since the early stages of Sudan’s conflict. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control access from the north and east, blocking aid and trade convoys. To the west and south, the Abdel Aziz al-Hilu-led SPLM-N enforces a blockade, restricting the movement of essential goods such as maize and flour, which it classifies as strategic materials.

The escalation follows a pattern of increased artillery and drone strikes by both the RSF and SPLM-N against the city, worsening a precarious humanitarian situation.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, an RSF drone strike killed at least six displaced people on the outskirts of al-Kargal, a source said. The victims were part of a group travelling from the state capital, Kadugli, toward Dilling.

Intelligence reports suggest the SPLM-N is mobilizing fighters near the towns of Al-Samasim and Al-Kargal. The movements indicate an attempt to sever the road connecting Kadugli and Dilling, which the Sudanese army had reopened in February. Such a move would further isolate the state’s main urban centres.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported a new wave of displacement across South Kordofan due to the fighting. According to the IOM, 825 people have fled Gadeer, 455 have left Dilling, and hundreds more have escaped Kadugli and Al-Kuweik. Many of the displaced are heading toward North Kordofan, White Nile state, and Khartoum.