Sudanese army drone strikes kill 300 people in western Sudan and Abyei

The Sudanese army has launched a series of devastating drone strikes across western Sudan and the disputed Abyei region, resulting in the deaths of more than 300 people. These aerial bombardments, which hit high-traffic civilian areas including markets and a funeral procession, represent a significant escalation in the ongoing civil war between the military and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The military has acknowledged responsibility for the operations, asserting that the locations targeted were being utilized by RSF militants to coordinate their activities. A significant portion of the casualties occurred during a single strike on the Amiet Market in the Abyei region, a territory disputed between Sudan and South Sudan. Local officials reported that at least 153 people were killed in this specific incident. The caretaker minister of information in Abyei attributed the carnage directly to the Sudanese military's drone technology, noting that the market was an essential economic hub crowded with civilians at the time of the attack. Beyond the border region, other strikes targeted a funeral procession and a fuel market in western Sudan, contributing heavily to the rising death toll. While the Sudanese army maintains its stance that the strikes were surgical operations aimed at neutralizing RSF threats, human rights observers and local sources say the vast majority of the victims were non-combatants. The use of drone technology has become a central and increasingly lethal feature of the military's strategy to reclaim territory held by the paramilitary group. The United Nations has condemned the strikes, emphasizing the catastrophic impact on essential services and the safety of innocent people in a country already facing a worsening humanitarian crisis. Millions of Sudanese citizens are currently suffering from acute hunger and displacement as the conflict persists. Furthermore, the strikes in Abyei have intensified diplomatic friction between Sudan and South Sudan, as the region's status remains a volatile point of contention. International observers continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent further regional instability.