Eighty people were killed in a drone attack by the “army” on Sunday evening that targeted an area near a market in the town of Al-Dabbab in West Kordofan state. Most of the victims were civilians waiting for transportation to return to their villages after the market day had ended, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
An eyewitness named Ahmed Wadi said the attack left 50 bodies, which he helped bury, including that of his brother, Mohammed. Speaking via satellite internet to bypass the communications blackout, he added that 47 injured people were transported to the nearby city of Al-Majlad.
A medical source, who requested anonymity for his own safety, reported that 30 of the injured who were taken to Al-Majlad died from their wounds, bringing the total death toll to 80. He added that another drone attack targeted Al-Majlad, injuring four people who are currently receiving treatment.
Wadi explained that the drone carried out two strikes about ten minutes apart, targeting a transportation hub where citizens were gathering to return to their villages after the market day had ended.
The attack is among the deadliest single strikes since the war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, following the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti.”
The administration established by the Rapid Support Forces, known as “Tasis,” accused the Sudanese army of carrying out Sunday’s attack, at a time when the entire state of West Kordofan is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.
The attack comes amid an escalation in the use of drones in the war. According to reports, drone strikes between January and April killed at least 880 civilians—more than 80% of the total civilian deaths linked to the conflict during that period.
On Friday, drone strikes targeted a major livestock market in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. The Sudanese Armed Forces said they killed fighters from the Rapid Support Forces in the attack, while the Rapid Support Forces accused the army of killing 30 civilians.
Last week, Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, warned the Security Council of the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation, stressing that no breakthrough was in sight. She said that the warring parties are not moving toward dialogue but rather seem convinced that they can achieve greater gains on the battlefield, relying on continued external support to pursue their objectives by force.
