Drone attack in Sudan kills 80 near market, witnesses say

Strike in West Kordofan among deadliest since civil war began; RSF accuses army of carrying out attack

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Read Time2 min

A drone strike near a market in southern Sudan on Sunday evening killed at least 80 people, mostly commuters gathering to travel home, according to witnesses and a medical source. The attack in al-Dibab, West Kordofan, is one of the deadliest single strikes since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023.

A witness, Ahmed Wadi, described the attack via satellite internet, saying he helped bury 50 bodies, including his brother Mohamed. He stated that a further 47 injured people were taken to the nearest town, al-Mujlad. A medical source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 30 of those injured later died, bringing the total to 80. Wadi said the drone struck twice, ten minutes apart, at a transport hub where people gather after the weekly market.

A separate drone strike on al-Mujlad injured four people, the medical source added. The RSF-declared administration, known as Tasis, accused the army of carrying out Sunday's strike. All of West Kordofan state is under RSF control.

Sudan has seen a sharp escalation in the use of drones in the war. Between January and April, drone strikes accounted for at least 880 civilian deaths, more than 80 percent of all conflict-related civilian fatalities. On Friday, a drone strike on a busy livestock market in Nyala, South Darfur, drew competing claims: the SAF said it had killed RSF fighters, while the RSF accused the military of killing 30 civilians.

Last week, Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, warned the Security Council that the conflict and humanitarian crisis were deteriorating with no breakthrough in sight. "They are not moving closer to dialogue. On the contrary, they seem to believe that they can make greater gains on the battlefield," she said.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The al-Dibab strike is among the deadliest single incidents in a war that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, highlighting the intensifying use of drones against civilians.
The attack underscores the collapse of protections for non-combatants and the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, where communications blackouts and restricted access make verification difficult.
The conflict continues to draw in external actors supplying weapons and support, prolonging the fighting and diminishing prospects for a negotiated settlement.

Background

Sudan's civil war began in April 2023 when a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, erupted into open fighting in Khartoum. The war has since spread across the country, with both sides accused of targeting civilians. Drones have become a central weapon, causing rising civilian casualties. Foreign powers with vested interests have provided military and political support to each side.

Key Perspectives

Rapid Support Forces (RSF): Through their civilian administration, Tasis, they accused the SAF of carrying out the Sunday strike. The RSF controls West Kordofan state. Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): No immediate comment was reported on the al-Dibab attack. Regarding the earlier Nyala market strike, the SAF said they had killed RSF fighters, while the RSF accused the military of killing 30 civilians. United Nations: Rosemary DiCarlo warned the Security Council that neither party is moving toward dialogue; both believe they can achieve more on the battlefield with continued external support.

What to Watch

Whether the SAF responds to the RSF accusation with a statement or evidence regarding the al-Dibab strike.
Continued monitoring of drone-attack casualty figures, as the pattern suggests rising civilian deaths in market areas.
Any movement toward humanitarian access or ceasefire talks, which the UN has called urgent as the situation deteriorates.

Sources

Drone attack near market kills 80 in Sudan · World news | The Guardian

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 5 supported.

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Partly supportedHeadline: a drone attack in Sudan 'kills 80 near market', attributed to witnessesWorld news | The Guardian: “A drone strike near a market in southern Sudan on Sunday evening killed 80 people, mostly commuters catching rides home.”
Partly supportedThe strike killed 'at least 80 people'World news | The Guardian: “A total of 80 people were killed in the drone strike on al-Dibab”
SupportedThe attack happened on Sunday evening in al-Dibab, West Kordofan, near a marketWorld news | The Guardian: “A drone strike near a market in southern Sudan on Sunday evening killed 80 people”
Partly supportedSummary: RSF accuses army of carrying out the attackWorld news | The Guardian: “The RSF-declared administration, known as Tasis, accused the army of carrying out Sunday's strike.”
SupportedWitness Ahmed Wadi helped bury 50 bodies, including his brother MohamedWorld news | The Guardian: ““50 bodies who I helped bury, one of them my own brother Mohamed””
Partly supportedThe drone struck twice, ten minutes apart, at a transport hub where people gather after the weekly marketWorld news | The Guardian: “Wadi said the drone struck twice, 10 minutes apart, “on a transport hub where people gather to travel back to their villages after the market day ends”.”
Partly supportedSudan has seen a 'sharp escalation' in drone use in the warWorld news | The Guardian: “Sudan has witnessed an escalation in the use of drones in the war.”
SupportedBetween January and April, drone strikes caused at least 880 civilian deaths, more than 80 percent of conflict-related civilian fatalitiesWorld news | The Guardian: “Between January and April, drone strikes accounted for at least 880 civilian deaths, more than 80% of all conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan.”
SupportedOn Friday a Nyala drone strike drew competing claims: the SAF said it killed RSF fighters, the RSF said the military killed 30 civiliansWorld news | The Guardian: “the SAF said they had killed RSF fighters, but the RSF accused the military of killing 30 civilians.”
Partly supportedUN official Rosemary DiCarlo said: 'They are not moving closer to dialogue. On the contrary, they seem to believe that they can make greater gains on the battlefield,'World news | The Guardian: ““They [the warring parties] are not moving closer to dialogue. On the contrary, they seem to believe that they can make greater gains on the battlefield and that continued external support will allow them to pursue their objectives by force.””
SupportedLast week DiCarlo warned the Security Council that the conflict and humanitarian crisis were deteriorating with no breakthrough in sightWorld news | The Guardian: “Last week, Rosemary DiCarlo, the undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs at the UN, warned the security council that the conflict and humanitarian crisis was deteriorating “with no breakthrough on the horizon”.”