# Sudanese Army Drone Strikes Kill Over 200 Civilians in Kordofan and Abyei

> Drone attacks attributed to the Sudanese army killed more than 200 civilians in West Kordofan and the disputed Abyei Administrative Area on October 18 and 19, 2026.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-20T14:50:15.203172Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/sudanese-army-drone-strikes-kill-over-200-civilians-in-kordofan-and-abyei-218ff8ed

Drone strikes attributed to the Sudanese army reportedly killed over 200 civilians in Sudan's West Kordofan state and the disputed Abyei Administrative Area on October 18 and 19, 2026 [1][3]. These attacks have heightened the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leading to severe civilian casualties and drawing alarm from the United Nations [3][12].

The continued targeting of civilian areas disrupts essential services and exacerbates an already dire humanitarian crisis, affecting millions of people across Sudan [3][12]. These incidents reflect an escalation in the use of drones against civilian populations.

## West Kordofan Attack

On Sunday, October 18, 2026, a drone strike near a market in Al-Dibab, West Kordofan state, killed at least 80 people [2][10][11][13]. Some reports indicated as many as 150 civilian casualties from the incident [3][5]. The attack targeted a transport hub where commuters gathered to return to their villages after market day [2][13]. Witness Ahmed Wadi reported helping to bury 50 bodies, including his brother Mohamed [2][13]. Wadi stated that 47 other individuals were transported to the nearby town of Al-Mujlad [13]. A medical source, who requested anonymity, confirmed that 30 of those transported later died from their injuries, bringing the total fatalities from this incident to 80 [10][13]. The drone reportedly struck the location twice, with a 10-minute interval between attacks [13]. The RSF-declared administration, known as Tasis, and the Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers accused the Sudanese army of carrying out this strike [6][13]. West Kordofan state is currently under RSF control [13]. The Sudanese army has not publicly commented on this particular attack [5].

## Abyei Market Attack

The following day, Monday, October 19, 2026, a separate drone strike occurred at Amiet Common Market in the disputed Abyei Administrative Area [3][7][8]. This oil-rich territory is jointly administered by Sudan and South Sudan [3][8]. The attack took place around 11:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. local time, targeting the market's northern section where fuel is sold [7][8][9]. Yohana Akol Ngor, Abyei's caretaker information minister and spokesperson for the Abyei administration, reported that at least 73 people were killed and 19 wounded in the strike [3][8][9][10]. Other local authorities reported a death toll of 53 [11]. Victims included civilian traders from both Sudan and South Sudan, along with internally displaced persons, and reports noted four Somali nationals among the deceased [8]. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirmed its teams treated over 20 wounded individuals, including critical cases with severe burns, at Ameth Bek Hospital [8].

Minister Ngor explicitly accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of conducting the drone attack [8][9]. South Sudan's foreign ministry condemned the strike and summoned Sudan's ambassador in Juba to lodge a formal protest, expressing deep concern over the implications for civilian security and regional stability [3][8]. Sudan's government has not issued a broad public statement regarding the Abyei incident. A Sudanese military source, however, confirmed to the BBC that the army carried out the attack, asserting the market was an RSF fuel supply site [1][3]. Local accounts have also linked the market to fuel supplies for the RSF [8].

## Broader Conflict Context

These recent drone strikes are part of a broader escalation in the nearly three-and-a-half-year-old conflict between the SAF and RSF, which erupted in April 2023 [3][12][13]. The war has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with more than 14 million people displaced [3]. Over 20 million people face acute hunger, risking famine in parts of Darfur and Greater Kordofan [3][12]. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric voiced strong concern, stating, “We are alarmed by the continued deadly drone strikes across the country that are killing civilians, including children, and that are disrupting essential services” [3][12]. The UN unequivocally condemned all such attacks [12]. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, urged external actors to cease fueling the violence and the use of drones [12]. Despite a partial arms embargo, foreign countries have supplied drones to both the Sudanese army and the RSF, leading to their increasing deployment in the conflict [3].

## What we could not confirm

We could not independently verify the exact casualty figures from either drone strike due to conflicting reports [3][8][10][11]. The specific types of drones used in the attacks remain unconfirmed. We also could not confirm the precise foreign countries supplying drones to the warring factions, beyond the general statement that such supplies exist despite an arms embargo [3].

## Evidence cited
1. Sudan army drones hit mourners and fuel market killing more than 200 people, sources say (www.bbc.co.uk) — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr3el70jz1nqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
2. Drone attack near market kills 80 in Sudan (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/19/drone-attack-market-al-dibab-west-kordofan-sudan
3. Sudan army drones hit mourners and fuel market killing more than 200 people, sources say (operativmm.az) — https://operativmm.az/
4. Sudanese army drone strikes kill 16 civilians in West Kordofan (sudantribune.com) — https://sudantribune.com/
5. Sudan: Drone Strike Kills Over 100 Civilians in West Kordofan (ground.news) — https://ground.news/
6. Sudan drone attacks kill 3 children in Khartoum, dozens of civilians in Kordofan (goskagit.com) — https://goskagit.com/
7. Sudanese army drones strike Abyei market, casualties reported - Sudans Post (sudanspost.com) — https://sudanspost.com/
8. Drone strikes kill at least 73 in disputed Abyei region (addisstandard.com) — https://addisstandard.com/
9. Drone Strike Kills at Least 73 at Market in Disputed Sudan-South Sudan Border Region (themedialine.org) — https://themedialine.org/
10. Drone strike in disputed southern Sudan area kills at least seventy, minister says (jpost.com) — https://jpost.com/
11. Sudan army drone strike kills 53 at market in disputed Abyei: local authorities (arabnews.com) — https://arabnews.com/
12. Sudan: UN condemns deadly drone strikes, urges end to violence | UN News (un.org) — https://un.org/
13. Drone attack near market kills 80 in Sudan | Sudan | The Guardian (theguardian.com) — https://theguardian.com/
14. Sudan drone strikes kill at least 73 in disputed Abyei market - The Arab Weekly (thearabweekly.com) — https://thearabweekly.com/
15. Sudan drone strike kills 73 at Abyei market - Middle East Online (middle-east-online.com) — https://middle-east-online.com/
16. 73 killed, 19 wounded in Sudanese army drone attacks on Abyei market (radiotamazuj.org) — https://radiotamazuj.org/
17. NewsCord (newscord.org) — https://newscord.org/
18. Sudan drone strikes kill over 160 civilians in three days (newarab.com) — https://newarab.com/
19. Headlines for October 20, 2026 (democracynow.org) — https://democracynow.org/