Egypt and Sudan investigate after two Egyptians shot dead in Khartoum

Egypt and Sudan are investigating the shooting death of two Egyptian men in Khartoum, following the weekend death of numerous Sudanese gold miners in an airstrike near the Egyptian border. Sudanese police have apprehended a 23-year-old gunman named Ibrahim Abdullah Adam, who reportedly admitted to carrying out the attack to avenge his brother's death during the air strike. A third Egyptian was wounded in the shooting, and all three victims were lorry drivers.

The Sudanese police officer who was wounded in an exchange of fire before the gunman's arrest also remains under investigation. The investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances and motives of the incident. Neither Egypt nor Sudan has publicly identified the perpetrator behind the airstrike.

The Egyptian military stated that troops and police are continuing to counter "illegal" gold prospecting in the country's Eastern Desert, warning criminal elements to stop the activity to safeguard sovereignty within Egypt's borders. Egypt's Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the Khartoum shooting and emphasized the mutual respect between the two nations, including respect for each other's sovereignty and borders.

The airstrike near the border was initially reported by various human rights and watchdog groups in Sudan, including the Emergency Lawyers, the Somoud alliance, and the Sudan Doctors Network, with death toll figures ranging from 13 to 200, some media reports even estimating up to 200. The Somoud alliance condemned the targeting of civilians and held the leadership of the armed forces responsible for incidents within their controlled areas.

Sudan's military-led Sovereign Council acknowledged the airstrike in the border region with Egypt and emphasized that the leadership of the two nations has been in contact since the incident to guarantee the protection of lives and maintain strong relations between the two peoples. Images and videos shared online purportedly show the aftermath of the airstrike, with bodies scattered across rubble, others wrapped in green sheets, and angry survivors, mostly men in their 20s or 30s.