The Rais torn apart... Four errant shells kill and destroy homes in Al-Haj Youssef
Exclusive - Al-Haj Youssef
Abdulaziz Mohammed, known as The Rais, was among those who advocated for the support of the armed forces in the Nadi Al-Lahib group. However, this pure patriotic prayer and behavior were not enough to protect him from those he appealed to when a warplane approached his house in the Al-Khaj Youssef suburb, east of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The plane fired a shell that tore him apart and destroyed the house that was a facade for athletes.
The terrifying explosion, which shook the entire area with its sound, created holes and cracks in the walls of adjacent buildings, leaving chaotic scenes in the street. People rushed to save the injured from the rubble and the mixture of water and blood, while branches fell from the trees in panic.
The stray shells from the fighter jet did not only end the life of Abdulaziz Al-Rais Abu Shanab, but another errant shell also hit and demolished a neighboring building owned by a spare parts merchant, Aspirat, killing two women. One of them was a young woman who demonstrated rare bravery and sacrifice when she shielded her newborn baby with her body, saving him, while her soul paid the price for his life, just half a month after his birth.
The stray shells continued their attacks and painted a new tragedy on the ground when a shell exploded in Block 10, which is located close to Al-Ban Jadid Hospital, destroying eight houses adjacent to Kassala Street, the main road in the Al-Haj Youssef area. The random attack claimed the lives of three civilians, including a well-known football player named Hassoun Barkia, and a woman who was preparing food in her kitchen. The third victim was a young boy whose small body was torn apart by shrapnel. More than eight people also suffered varying injuries.
Grief overshadowed the residents of (the Al-Haj Youssef family) in particular, Block 2 and Block 10, which suffered losses in lives. Eyewitnesses and some neighbors of the victims say that the late Abdulaziz Al-Rais, or Abu Shanab as some called him, was a man of goodness and charity, a sports enthusiast, and had wide social connections.
Last Sunday, he was standing in front of his house in Block 2, north of Al-Ban Jadid Hospital - Al-Haj Youssef, holding a water hose to water the trees, while his wife was inside the house accompanied by a group of women reading the Quran. Meanwhile, his athletic neighbor, the young Hisham, known as Saba, came and asked him to close his door and return to have lunch. As soon as Saba left, the shell exploded, tearing apart Al-Rais amidst a tremendous roar that cut off the power supply wires. Saba was left in shock due to the incident that took his neighbors life in the blink of an eye.
Following the tragic incident, several families decided to leave the capital in search of safety. More than 40 individuals traveled to different states on the second day, while the locals are still wondering about the reasons behind the errant shells. Are they the result of inaccurate information or incorrect coordinates?
