At least 16 civilians, including women and children, were reportedly killed in suspected Sudanese army drone strikes on residential neighbourhoods and a displacement shelter in West Kordofan, according to a local human rights monitoring group.
The Kordofan Observatory said on Saturday that the attacks struck the towns of Gbeish and Al-Nuhud on October 8 and 9, killing members of displaced families and residents in areas reportedly free of military activity.
In Gbeish, four members of the same family, including two children, were killed on Friday when a drone struck the Abu Ba’a residential neighbourhood, the observatory said.
The group reported that preliminary information indicated no military presence in the neighbourhood at the time of the attack.
A second drone strike reportedly targeted a civilian vehicle near Gbeish hospital, although no casualties were recorded.
The reported attacks have raised concerns about the safety of civilians in Gbeish, a commercial centre that has largely avoided direct fighting and currently shelters thousands of people displaced by violence elsewhere in Kordofan and Darfur.
Displacement shelter struck in Al-Nuhud
In Al-Nuhud, another drone strike reportedly killed 12 civilians and wounded eight others on Thursday after hitting a municipal administrative building being used as temporary accommodation for displaced families.
Most of those killed or injured were women and children, according to the Kordofan Observatory.
The rights organisation Shahid Evidence separately condemned the October 8 attack, confirming that preliminary reports indicated 12 deaths and eight injuries.
In a statement issued on Friday, Shahid Evidence said local sources had attributed the bombardment to a suspected Turkish-made Bayraktar drone allegedly operated by the Sudanese Armed Forces.
However, the organisation stressed that an independent technical investigation was necessary to establish the aircraft’s identity, its operator and those responsible for ordering the strike.
Sudan Tribune said it could not independently verify the reported casualties or the origin of the drone attacks. The Sudanese military had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Shahid Evidence called for an international investigation, including an examination of munition fragments, satellite imagery, flight records and witness testimony.
The organisation also urged the preservation of medical records and other evidence that could help establish responsibility.
The latest reported deaths come as drone warfare increasingly threatens civilian communities across Kordofan, where fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has forced thousands of families from their homes.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly warned that attacks on civilian neighbourhoods, displacement shelters and other protected sites could constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Sudan’s conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has devastated civilian infrastructure, displaced millions of people and left large areas facing severe humanitarian shortages.
