A drone attack struck a transport hub in the town of al-Dibab in West Kordofan state on Sunday evening, resulting in 80 deaths according to a medical source. The strike occurred near a market where residents gather to arrange transportation back to their villages after the market concludes each day. A witness who helped bury 50 bodies reported that 47 additional injured individuals were transported to the nearby town of al-Mujlad, where medical personnel indicated 30 of them subsequently died from their injuries. A second drone strike also targeted al-Mujlad, injuring four people who received treatment.
The RSF-declared administration accused the armed forces of conducting the attacks. West Kordofan state remains under RSF control. The incident represents one of the most significant single strikes since the outbreak of armed conflict in April 2023, stemming from a power struggle between the Sudanese armed forces led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Drone operations have become increasingly prevalent throughout the conflict. Data from earlier in the year indicated that drone strikes accounted for at least 880 civilian deaths between January and April, representing more than 80% of all conflict-related civilian casualties. Recent strikes have also targeted other population centers, including a livestock market in Nyala, South Darfur state, on Friday, where competing claims emerged regarding the number of civilian casualties.
The broader conflict has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced numerous populations. UN officials have expressed concern about the trajectory of the situation, with the undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs warning that the humanitarian crisis continues deteriorating with limited prospects for negotiated resolution.
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