A series of drone strikes across war-torn Sudan killed more than 100 people since Sunday, according to residents, medical workers and paramilitary sources. The violence struck army-held Khartoum and two western areas controlled by paramilitary forces.
The deadliest attack hit near a market on Sunday evening in Al-Dibab town. The southwestern town in West Kordofan is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The RSF has been at war with the Sudanese military since April 2023.
Residents and medical workers said a drone targeted a transport hub. Villagers had gathered there after a market day to find rides home, and 80 people died in the blast.
Ahmed Abakar Wadi, a resident who helped bury victims, said at least 50 bodies were recovered at the scene. His brother was among those killed. Another 47 wounded people were taken to the nearby town of Al-Mujlad. A medical source said 30 of them later died from their injuries.
The drone struck once, and then came back 10 minutes later and struck again, Wadi said. The RSF administration and the Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers accused the army of carrying out the attack.
The strike ranks among the deadliest single attacks in Kordofan. The oil-rich region links western and eastern Sudan, and both factions have battled fiercely for territory there.
Hours later, early on Monday, another drone attack hit the RSF stronghold of Nyala. Nyala serves as the capital of South Darfur.
Medical and RSF sources reported that 17 people died when a drone struck the city center and destroyed two homes. Seven RSF officers were among the dead, and 23 other people sustained injuries.
On Monday morning, violence also reached the capital. A drone strike hit a house in a neighborhood east of Khartoum airport, killing four people, including three children aged between two and six, according to a medical source.
An army official said Sudanese air defenses intercepted drones launched by the RSF that targeted the airport and nearby areas. In eastern Sudan, a military source said air defenses also intercepted several RSF drones targeting the Atbara and Setit dams in Gadaref state on Sunday.
