Drone Attack Kills Around 80 in West Kordofan, Sudan

By Al Mayadeen English

20 Oct 2026 16:27

A drone attack near a market in Sudan’s West Kordofan kills around 80 people, according to witnesses and a medical source cited by AFP.

Around 80 people were killed in a drone attack targeting a civilian transport gathering near a market in the al-Dibab area of Sudan’s West Kordofan state on Sunday evening, according to a witness and a medical source cited by AFP. 

The attack struck a location used by civilians traveling to their villages after the end of the market day, resulting in a large number of casualties. A witness said he helped bury 50 people killed in the strike, while 47 injured were transported to the nearby city of al-Muglad for treatment.

A medical source said 30 of the injured later succumbed to their wounds, bringing the reported death toll to around 80.

Al-Dibab is located in West Kordofan, a state under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 

Information circulating after the attack suggested that Somali nationals may have been among those affected. However, no reliable data has established their identities or the number of Somali nationals killed or injured, and no official confirmation has been issued by the relevant Somali authorities.

Sudan army vow to continue fight

As hostilities resume, Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan affirmed that the Sudanese Army will continue its military campaign against the RSF until it reclaims “every inch” of Sudanese territory, as displacement continues in Blue Nile State and civilians are killed in an RSF attack in West Kordofan.

Speaking at a public gathering in the Fifth Village in Merowe locality in Northern State in early October, al-Burhan said the “armed forces will continue their operations until the entire territory of the country is reclaimed,” reiterating the government and army’s rejection of negotiations with the RSF under the current conditions.

The Sudanese government maintains that any ceasefire or negotiating process must include the RSF’s withdrawal from cities and public facilities, the surrender of its weapons and the assembly of its forces in designated camps, in addition to holding those accused of committing violations accountable.

Al-Burhan’s position comes as international efforts to push for a ceasefire continue. A US proposal had called for a 90-day truce followed by a political process, but officials close to the army criticized the proposal, saying it did not adequately address the RSF’s withdrawal from cities.