A drone strike tore through a crowded market in southern Sudan, killing at least 28 people and injuring 23 others, according to medical workers and eyewitnesses. The attack ranks among the deadliest assaults on civilians in the country’s ongoing civil war.
The strike targeted the town of Ghubaysh in West Kordofan, a region currently under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese army has devastated Sudan since war erupted in April 2023, forcing millions from their homes and destroying essential services across the country.
Doctors at the local hospital said ambulances and residents rushed the wounded and the dead from the market area shortly after the explosions. Witnesses described scenes of panic as smoke rose above the busy marketplace filled with shoppers and vendors.
Several residents said one drone strike hit a crowded restaurant near the center of the market. Others reported that the attack appeared to happen in two stages. According to eyewitnesses, the first explosion struck an RSF vehicle and killed three people. Minutes later, another blast slammed into the nearby restaurant, where many civilians had gathered.
The Sudanese group Emergency Lawyers said the market served thousands of families who depended on it for food and daily supplies. The organization accused those behind the attack of endangering civilians and worsening the humanitarian crisis in the region.
