Drone strike near Sudan market reportedly kills 80

A drone strike near a market in al-Dibab, West Kordofan, killed 80 people on Sunday evening, according to a witness and a medical source interviewed by AFP. The witness said the drone hit a transport hub twice, about ten minutes apart, as commuters waited to return to nearby villages after market day. He reported helping to bury 50 people, while the medical source said 30 more died after being taken to al-Mujlad.

The casualty figure has not been independently verified and may change. The RSF-aligned Tasis administration accused Sudan’s army of carrying out the attack, but no evidence establishing responsibility was available in the first reports. West Kordofan is under Rapid Support Forces control, and neither side’s battlefield claim should be treated as a confirmed attribution.

The reported strike is among the deadliest single attacks in a war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. Drone use has expanded sharply, increasing the reach of attacks beyond front lines and complicating efforts to protect civilians. A communications blackout around al-Dibab also limits rapid verification, leaving witness testimony and medical reporting as the principal evidence currently available.