Dozens of civilians were killed and many more injured in separate drone strikes targeting populated areas in North Kordofan and the border town of Um Dukhun, in the latest escalation of attacks on civilian sites in Sudan.
In North Kordofan, at least four civilians — including a woman — were killed on Thursday when a drone struck a market in the Hamra al-Sheikh area, according to the Emergency Lawyers group. The group attributed the attack to General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and condemned it as part of a recurring pattern of strikes on markets and densely populated civilian areas, warning it violates international humanitarian law.
In a separate strike a day earlier, dozens of civilians were reported killed in Um Dukhun, near the borders with Chad and the Central African Republic. Eyewitnesses and local sources, cited by Arabic media, said the attack was carried out by drones belonging to General al-Burhan’s army (SAF).
A medical source at Umm Dukhun Hospital said the strike killed an entire family of six, along with more than 10 other civilians whose bodies were severely burned and remain unidentified. Dozens of others were injured, with some transferred to Nyala for treatment.
Residents said the drone fired multiple missiles — more than seven — striking several locations across the town, including residential neighbourhoods, the main market, the fuel market, and sites linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The strikes caused widespread destruction, with bodies scattered in marketplaces and dozens of homes burned.
Sources also reported that a convoy belonging to a unit known as the “Negative Phenomena Force” was targeted, killing several members, including two field commanders.
The attacks come amid a sharp rise in drone warfare across Darfur and Kordofan in recent months. Earlier this week, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said nearly 700 civilians have been killed in Sudan over the past three months due to drone strikes.
Rights groups have called for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and demanded accountability, warning that continued aerial bombardment is worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.
