Cairo:  Fighters from a paramilitary group in Sudan killed at least 85 people, including women and children, after vandalising, looting and setting fire to a village, spreading terror throughout the region, authorities and residents said on Saturday, the latest bloodshed in the country’s devastating 18-month conflict.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched attacks on Galgani in Sennar province in July and last week RSF fighters “opened fire indiscriminately on unarmed residents of the village.” The villagers were attacked after they protested against the kidnapping and sexual abuse of women and girls, the statement said.

More than 150 people were injured in the attack

Paramilitary forces attacked unarmed people. It said more than 150 villagers were injured in the attack. A health care worker said that by Friday, at least 80 bodies, including 24 women and minors, had arrived at the medical center. A villager, Mohammad Tajal Amin, said he saw the bodies of six men and a woman lying in the middle of the road on Friday.