ABYEI, Sudan–South Sudan Border — At least 153 people have reportedly been killed in a drone strike on Amiet Market in the disputed Abyei region, according to local officials, in one of the deadliest reported attacks in the wider Sudan conflict in recent days.
The attack, which occurred on Monday, October 19, struck a market area and a nearby fuel depot, triggering a fire that complicated rescue and body-recovery efforts.
The death toll was reported by Abyei officials and subsequently covered by Reuters, the Associated Press and Al Jazeera.
The figures have not been independently verified in full, and the number of casualties could change as missing people are accounted for.
The incident has renewed concerns about the spread of Sudan’s war into border areas and the exposure of civilians to drone attacks.
Responsibility for the Drone Attack Remains Disputed
Yohanna Akol Ngor, the caretaker information minister in the Abyei administration, blamed Sudan’s military for the attack.
South Sudan’s government also condemned the strike and summoned Sudan’s ambassador in Juba to protest.
However, the allegation of responsibility must be distinguished from independently established findings. The Associated Press reported that it could not independently verify who carried out the attack.
A senior Sudanese military officer, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, said the army had targeted fuel tankers believed to be supplying the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The officer claimed that those killed were RSF members and people involved in fuel smuggling, rather than civilians.
That account has not been independently verified either.
The competing accounts make a reliable investigation essential, particularly given the reported scale of civilian casualties and the destruction at the market.
Medical Teams Treat the Wounded from the Drone Strikes
Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), said more than 20 wounded people had been brought to Ameth Bek Hospital, where its teams were assisting local health workers.
The organisation reported treating patients with serious injuries and burns.
The United Nations condemned reported drone attacks near Amiet Market and Todach. Its statement referred to civilian deaths and injuries, including women and children, without identifying the party responsible for the attacks.
UN peacekeepers in the area have been involved in assistance and casualty-verification efforts.
The reported death toll could rise if additional bodies are recovered or people previously listed as missing are confirmed dead.
Abyei’s Disputed Status Adds to Regional Tensions
Abyei is an oil-rich territory claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.
Its political status remained unresolved after South Sudan became independent in 2011.
The region’s location makes it strategically important to communities and armed actors operating across the border.
It also sits close to areas affected by the war between Sudan’s armed forces and the RSF, which began in April 2023.
The conflict has devastated communities, displaced millions and severely restricted humanitarian access in parts of Sudan.
The reported strike on Amiet Market is part of a broader pattern of deadly drone attacks documented in recent days.
UN officials have also raised concerns about attacks on residential areas, markets and critical infrastructure elsewhere in Sudan.
These developments highlight the danger of increasingly widespread drone warfare in a conflict where civilian protection and access to medical care remain major challenges.
Calls for Civilian Protection
The reported scale of the casualties reinforces calls for all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law.
Markets, hospitals and other civilian objects are protected under the laws of armed conflict unless and for such time as specific legal conditions alter that protection.
Even when a military objective is present, parties must take precautions to minimise civilian harm.
They must not launch attacks expected to cause excessive civilian losses relative to the anticipated concrete and direct military advantage.
An independent assessment would need to establish the precise target, the circumstances of the strike, the identities of those killed and the evidence supporting claims about responsibility.
Developing Story
As of October 22, the figure of at least 153 deaths is based on statements by local officials and reporting by multiple news organisations.
The full casualty list, the number of missing people and independent confirmation of responsibility remain outstanding.
This Dawn News will monitor further statements from the United Nations, South Sudanese authorities, Sudan’s military and humanitarian organisations operating in the area.
