El Daein, October 3 (Darfur24)
National football referee Younis Youssef, known as Abu Al-Jaz, died from injuries sustained during an armed robbery on Wednesday evening outside his home in Al-Nahda neighborhood, north of El Daein, the capital of East Darfur State.
The East Darfur State Football Association and the local referees’ committee mourned his death on Thursday, confirming that he passed away after undergoing surgery for his injuries.
Eyewitnesses told Darfur24 that two armed men on motorcycles attempted to steal the referee’s mobile phone at gunpoint. When he refused to hand it over, they shot him, then seized his phone along with those of four neighbors who were outside the house at the time, before fleeing the scene.
Residents said the attackers have not yet been identified.
Several neighborhoods in El Daein have witnessed a rise in similar armed robberies, particularly in the evenings. Civilians have complained of gangs on motorcycles targeting residents, especially to steal mobile phones and other personal belongings.