A drone strike hit a secondary school and health care center in southern Sudan on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, mostly schoolgirls, according to hospital officials and medical groups. At least 10 people were wounded in the attack in the village of Shukeiri in White Nile province.

Dr. Musa al-Majeri, director of the nearest major medical facility at Douiem Hospital, said three girls suffered serious injuries. Two underwent surgery at his hospital while a third was evacuated to Khartoum, the capital. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that those killed included two teachers and a health care worker, and said there was no military presence in the village.

Both the medical group and hospital officials attributed the attack to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF did not respond to requests for comment. Dr. Razan Al-Mahdi, a spokeswoman for the Sudan Doctors Network, said the paramilitaries had attacked several civilian facilities in recent days, including a student dormitory and power station.

The strike represents the latest deadly incident in Sudan's conflict that began in April 2023 when tensions between the military and RSF erupted into open warfare in Khartoum and other areas. The war has killed more than 40,000 people according to UN figures, though aid groups believe the actual toll is significantly higher.

The conflict has been marked by widespread atrocities including mass killings and sexual violence, with the International Criminal Court investigating potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. In October, RSF forces overran the Darfur city of el-Fasher in an attack that UN-commissioned experts said bore "hallmarks of genocide," killing at least 6,000 people in three days according to the UN Human Rights Office.