Officials accuse the Rapid Support Forces of carrying out the killings, saying the grave held the remains of children and women.

Sudanese armed forces have discovered at least 25 bodies in a mass grave in the southeastern Blue Nile State, with local officials accusing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the killings.

The grave was found in the town of Kurmuk, a month after the Sudanese army regained control of the area after weeks of heavy fighting.

Abdel Aty Mohamed al-Faki, the commissioner of Kurmuk, announced the discovery on Sunday, according to The Sudan Tribune, saying the Sudanese armed forces found the grave during sweeping operations in the northeastern part of the town.

The grave included the remains of children, women and hospital staff.

Al-Faki said the victims had been executed near Jebel Fankat, a hilltop position the RSF had used to launch drone attacks during its assault on the area.

There was no comment from RSF.

The RSF, which has been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023, has been accused of carrying out mass killings, including in the capital, Khartoum, the city of el-Fasher and the central Gezeira state.

Al Jazeera’s Almigdad al-Ruhaid, reporting from Khartoum, called the discovery in Kurmuk “significant and disturbing”.

“The local authorities have accused the Rapid Support Forces of executing them during its occupation of the town of Kurmuk,” he said, adding that the discovery comes as RSF attacks also continue in Blue Nile State.

“In the city of Kurmuk, the Rapid Support Forces have launched explosive drone attacks for the second consecutive day,” al-Ruhaid said. “So while the map of control between both sides may be changing”, fighting between the two sides continues, creating “mass displacement”.

Intense fighting also continues in West Darfur, the main stronghold for the RSF, with Sudanese armed forces reportedly repelling the paramilitary force’s attacks in Bir Saliba, located about 40km from the city of el-Geneina, he added.

The conflict has killed an estimated 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, and forced more than 14 million people to flee their homes.