Over 100 killed, 113 injured in drone strike on Sudan market

A drone strike on a crowded market in Nyala, South Darfur, killed over 100 people and injured 113 others, according to rights groups and local officials. The Tanqong Market in the Dumaya neighborhood of Nyala, controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), was the target of the attack. The Sudanese military, along with the RSF, is blamed for the incident.

Emergency Lawyers, a rights group, reported that the strike hit the Tanqong Market, stating that 36 bodies had arrived at Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Nyala, and the emergency room treated 150 injured people. The RSF-aligned health minister, Dr Alaa al-Din Nugud, confirmed 102 civilian deaths and 113 injuries. Eyewitnesses reported that the strike occurred while civilians were engaged in routine activities like shopping and eating breakfast.

The Darfur Victims Organization documented 14 civilian deaths, including 12 women and six children, and witnesses reported up to 120 people killed or wounded. Drone strikes have become a significant threat to civilians during Sudan's ongoing war, with both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF employing explosive-laden drones.

Recent attacks have targeted civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, markets, and displacement camps. The United Nations has labeled drone strikes as the most lethal threat to civilians in the conflict.

Sudan has been embroiled in a war since April 2023, following the eruption of fighting between the SAF and RSF in Khartoum, which subsequently spread across the country. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands, displaced millions, and created what the UN describes as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with approximately 34 million people in need of assistance.