Five Sudanese civilians, including two humanitarian volunteers, were killed and several others seriously wounded in a drone strike on a refugee settlement inside Chadian territory near the border with Sudan’s North Darfur state, according to local emergency responders.
The attack struck the Bamna area on Tuesday evening, where thousands of Sudanese civilians have sought refuge after fleeing fighting in the border towns of Tine, Um Baru and Karnoi.
The Emergency Rooms Council in Tine locality said the victims included two humanitarian workers and three displaced civilians living in temporary shelters.
The volunteers were identified as El Hadi Sandal Issa, coordinator of the Bamna Emergency Room, and Adam Omda Arja, a member of its programmes office.
A medical source in Chad told local Sudanese media that several people sustained serious injuries, with some requiring urgent surgical treatment.
The council said a communications blackout had complicated efforts to assess the full extent of the casualties and establish the condition of those wounded.
It condemned attacks on civilian settlements and displacement shelters, warning that continued violence threatened communities already struggling with the consequences of Sudan’s prolonged conflict.
The council also called for stronger protections for civilians and humanitarian personnel, alongside guarantees of safe access for emergency assistance.
Although the council did not identify those responsible for Tuesday’s strike, local volunteers accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the attack amid escalating drone warfare along the Sudan-Chad border.
The allegations could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate confirmation of responsibility for the strike.
The incident follows months of cross-border security concerns, including previous drone attacks and reported armed incursions into Chadian territory.
In June, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported treating 116 people wounded in drone attacks around the Tine border area since early May, highlighting the growing risks facing civilians on both sides of the frontier.
Fighting has intensified in parts of North Darfur, where Sudan’s military and allied Joint Force movements continue to defend positions around Tine, Um Baru and Karnoi against RSF offensives.
The border region remains strategically important because of its proximity to Chad and its role as an escape route for civilians fleeing the fighting.
Since Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023, hundreds of thousands of people have crossed into Chad, placing additional pressure on communities and humanitarian services already supporting refugees displaced by earlier conflicts in Darfur.
