A drone strike by the Sudanese Armed Forces killed nearly a dozen Christians as they went to worship on Christmas morning.
A Christian attorney in the area who requested anonymity told Morning Star News that a “congregation who were marching in procession towards the church were targeted” by the Sudanese Armed Forces, which runs the nation’s military government.
There were 11 Christians killed and 18 other people injured, according to Morning Star News.
Sudan Tribune reported the casualties at 12 killed and 19 wounded.
The Episcopal Church of Sudan in Julud, toward which the believers were heading, was not struck in the drone attack.
The assault was one of multiple in recent weeks.
Morning Star News reported that another drone strike on Dec. 5 killed 10 children between the ages of 5 and 7 inside a kindergarten.
There was also a Nov. 29 drone strike targeting a medical center, which killed 12 people, including women and children.
The Sudanese Armed Forces are engaged in a civil war against the Rapid Support Forces. Both are Islamic entities which have attacked members of the embattled nation’s Christian minority.
Open Doors, a ministry that monitors Christian persecution around the world, said that Sudan was “on a path towards religious freedom” before the war.
“Neither side is sympathetic to Christians, and the conflict has given Islamist extremists more opportunity to target them,” the group confirmed.
Beyond the killings of Christians and the displacement of massive populations, more than 100 churches have been damaged during the conflict.
Those who convert from Islam to Christianity are in immense danger.
“Sudanese Christians who have come to faith from a Muslim background face severe backlash from their families and communities,” Open Doors added.
“These believers tend to keep their faith secret, even from their own children.”
Amid a broader hunger crisis, Christians are especially at risk of lacking basic necessities, as they may face discrimination during aid distribution in their communities.
“The struggle for survival in Sudan has become even more challenging for Christian communities, who are faced with heightened dangers and diminishing resources,” the report added.
The latest killing of Christians in Sudan came on the same day as the Trump administration conducting strikes in Nigeria, which is in western Africa, in order to neutralize Islamic State militants targeting Christians.
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