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Drone strikes on central Sudanese city kill up to 23: NGO

A series of drone strikes on the central Sudanese city of El-Obeid has killed up to 23 civilians and wounded 19 others, according to local rights groups. The attacks, blamed on the Rapid Support Forces, targeted residential areas, a funeral, and a food truck, highlighting the growing use of drones in Sudan's civil war.

By Tertius News AI Desk 4 outlets · 7 articles Version 1 Coverage Jun 6–15, 2026 Published Aug 13

Lead

A series of drone strikes on the central Sudanese city of El-Obeid has killed up to 23 civilians and wounded 19 others, according to local rights groups. The attacks, which began Wednesday evening and continued into Thursday, targeted residential areas, a cemetery where a funeral was taking place, and a truck carrying food supplies, as reported by Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group that has documented abuses since the conflict began.

The strikes are the latest in a growing wave of drone attacks by both sides in Sudan's conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The United Nations said in May that armed drones account for over 80% of civilian deaths linked to the war, according to reports from multiple outlets.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from Al Jazeera, AllAfrica, BBC, and RFI broadly agree on the death toll and the attribution of blame to the RSF, though the RSF has not commented on the allegations. Al Jazeera noted that the casualty figures could rise and that neither side had claimed responsibility for a separate attack on a market in Abu Zaeima, which killed at least 11 people. The BBC highlighted that El-Obeid is a key battleground in the civil war, which has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with over 11 million people displaced and 28 million facing acute hunger.

AllAfrica and RFI both reported the same death toll and injuries, and noted that schools have suspended classes and markets are only partly open due to the attacks, according to an aid worker with Mercy Corps. The BBC also reported that a drone strike on a funeral procession killed at least four people, a figure echoed by other outlets.

Key Claims

Death toll and injuries: At least 23 civilians were killed and 19 wounded in El-Obeid, according to Emergency Lawyers. Health officials at El-Obeid Hospital reported 15 killed and more than 10 wounded, as per Al Jazeera.
Attribution to RSF: Emergency Lawyers blamed the RSF for the attacks, a claim carried by multiple outlets, though the RSF has not claimed responsibility.
Drone strike on funeral: A drone strike on a funeral gathering at a cemetery killed at least four people, according to Sudan Doctors Network and Emergency Lawyers.
Drone strike on food truck: A drone struck a truck carrying food supplies into El-Obeid, killing the driver, as reported by Emergency Lawyers and Sudan Doctors Network.
UN data on drone deaths: The United Nations said in May that at least 880 civilians were killed in drone strikes nationwide between January and April, and that armed drones account for over 80% of civilian deaths linked to the war.
Humanitarian crisis: Over 11 million people have been forced from their homes and 28 million are facing acute hunger, according to the BBC.

Perspectives

The attacks have drawn condemnation from rights groups and political parties. The Sudanese Doctors Network condemned the strikes, saying that targeting civilians, service facilities, and food transport vehicles constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law, as reported by Radio Dabanga. The National Umma Party described the strikes as a war crime and called for an immediate end to attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure.

Residents described the impact of the attacks, with one telling AFP: "It is tragic. The roofs of houses collapsed on their occupants. When you look at some houses, you feel no-one could have survived." An aid worker with Mercy Corps told the Associated Press that schools have suspended classes and markets are only partly open because of the attacks.

The fighting has intensified in the Kordofan region and Blue Nile State near the Ethiopian border, particularly after the RSF captured El-Fasher last October, the army's last major stronghold in western Darfur, according to Al Jazeera. The use of drones has become a prominent feature of the conflict, with both sides accused of deploying them against civilian targets.