Nyala currently serves as the de facto administrative stronghold for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which declared a rival government there in opposition to the internationally recognized Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) government in Khartoum. Local residents reported that the targeted market was heavily frequented by young civilians as well as off-duty RSF fighters. Medical personnel at Nyala Hospital confirmed treating dozens of casualties but could not determine the exact breakdown between civilian and paramilitary victims. The Sudanese army has consistently conducted airstrikes on Nyala. United Nations figures reveal that over 300 people were killed by drone strikes in the first three weeks of October alone. Since civil war erupted in April 2023, relief agencies estimate that more than 200,000 people have died, plunging Sudan into the world's largest famine and mass displacement crisis.