Fatal Drone Attack at Sudan Market Leaves 4 Dead, Dozens Wounded

A drone strike hit a border market in Sudan's Darfur region Thursday, killing four people and injuring 23 others including children. The attack comes amid Sudan's ongoing civil war that has claimed over 40,000 lives since April 2023.

A devastating drone attack at a marketplace in Sudan’s Darfur region Thursday left four people dead and wounded more than 20 civilians, according to international medical officials.

The humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that the military drone targeted fuel storage areas at the Adikong border market near Chad, creating massive explosions. This represents the second deadly aerial assault on Adikong within the past month.

“Twenty-three people were injured, including seven children and four women,” stated Gado Mahamadou, MSF’s mission leader in Chad.

Sudan has been engulfed in civil conflict since April 2023, when escalating disputes between the country’s military forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into full warfare in the capital Khartoum before spreading nationwide. United Nations statistics indicate the brutal conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives, though humanitarian organizations believe the actual death toll could be significantly higher.

The Darfur and Kordofan areas have emerged as primary battlegrounds, with aerial bombardments becoming increasingly common in Kordofan. These escalating drone operations have severely impacted civilian populations and disrupted relief efforts, according to humanitarian analysts.

While Sudan’s armed forces have not issued any public comments regarding Thursday’s marketplace strike, two military sources confirmed ongoing operations in the region aimed at RSF targets. Both officials requested anonymity as they lacked authorization to speak publicly.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a warning Thursday that the rising frequency of drone attacks throughout Sudan “are exacting a growing toll on civilians.”

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk expressed his horror at the increasing aerial assaults Thursday, referencing intelligence that indicates drone strikes have killed more than 200 civilians in the Kordofan region and White Nile state since March 4 alone.

Just one day earlier, an RSF drone targeted a high school and medical facility in southern Sudan’s White Nile province Wednesday, resulting in at least 17 deaths, primarily female students.