KHARTOUM, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed and 17 others injured on Wednesday when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted a major hospital in El Fasher, western Sudan, with artillery shelling, volunteer groups reported.

The Sudan Doctors Network said in a statement that the direct shelling of El Fasher Hospital killed medical staff performing duties, calling the attack "a full-fledged war crime." The group held the RSF "fully responsible," and urged global intervention to protect El Fasher's healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, the Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher said the Saudi Specialized Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynecology, the city's only functioning medical facility, was heavily shelled, "resulting in deaths and injuries among civilians, including children and the elderly."

According to local sources, the hospital has been routinely targeted by the RSF in recent attacks.

The RSF has not yet commented on the latest incident.

Violent clashes have been ongoing in El Fasher since May 2024, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied forces on one side and the RSF on the other, with fighting intensifying in recent days.

Sudan remains gripped by a broader conflict between the SAF and RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, deepening the country's humanitarian crisis. ■