Published: · Region: Africa · Category: humanitarian

Drone strikes kill more than 300 in Sudan’s West Kordofan and disputed Abyei region, sources say

Local officials and the Sudan War Observatory say drone strikes blamed on Sudan’s army killed over 300 people in West Kordofan and Abyei on 19–20 October, including about 145 mourners travelling in a truck with a body for burial.

Drone attacks in Sudan and the disputed Abyei area have left more than 300 people dead, according to local sources and monitoring groups.

The Sudan War Observatory reported that drone strikes in West Kordofan state on the evening of Sunday 20 October killed 150 people. It said that among those killed were about 145 mourners travelling in a truck carrying a body for burial.

Additional strikes were reported in Abyei, a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan. Local officials cited by regional media said the combined death toll in West Kordofan and Abyei on 19–20 October exceeded 300 people.

The drones involved in the attacks were blamed on Sudan’s national army. The army is fighting against the Rapid Support Forces and allied groups in a wider conflict inside Sudan.

The figures from West Kordofan and Abyei are still being verified, but if confirmed they would represent one of the deadliest recent incidents for civilians in the Sudan war.

Signals to watch now include whether Sudan’s military leadership acknowledges the reported death toll, whether regional organisations or neighbouring states call for an investigation, and whether further drone strikes are reported in or around Abyei.

Sources

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