Darfur rights group records 470 deaths in air strikes and drone attacks

A Darfur advocacy group says air strikes and drone attacks killed at least 470 people and injured 187 others across Sudan between March 2024 and January 2026, as civilians continue to bear the brunt of the war.

In a report published on Monday, the Darfur Victims Advocacy Organisation documented 42 air raids and one drone attack during the period. The group said North Darfur accounted for about 61 per cent of the attacks, making it the hardest hit state. South Darfur followed with 16 per cent, while the remaining strikes occurred across Kordofan, El Gezira and Sennar.

The organisation attributed 87 per cent of the attacks to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), while the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out the remaining 13 per cent, mainly using drones and artillery.

Adam Obama, the organisation’s executive director, told Radio Dabanga yesterday that the conflict has entered a new phase marked by the growing use of advanced military technology and foreign-made drones.

He said the report documented the use of Iranian drones, including the Mohajer-6 and Ababil-3, as well as Turkish drones such as the Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Akıncı, in attacks on residential areas and markets.

The report said the attacks destroyed infrastructure, disrupted farming and trade, and deepened poverty. It also warned that actors linked to the war economy have seized control of key sectors, including mining.

The organisation said the violence has displaced millions of people and left many families sheltering in schools, unfinished buildings and open spaces. It also highlighted rising levels of trauma, anxiety and depression among women and children living under constant threat.

The group called for an immediate air embargo over Darfur and other affected areas, a ban on arms supplies to the warring parties, and the creation of an international fact-finding mission.

Drone attack reported in Omdurman

Residents of Omdurman reported explosions near the Wadi Seidna military base north of the city at dawn on Tuesday after a drone attack.

Military sources said air defences intercepted the drone, although Radio Dabanga could not independently verify the claim. Sources also reported missile strikes inside the city, but no information was immediately available on casualties or damage.

Khartoum state has seen repeated drone attacks in recent months, including strikes blamed on the RSF that targeted parts of Omdurman and Khartoum International Airport.

Three killed in North Kordofan

The Emergency Lawyers Group said a drone strike killed three civilians and injured another person on Sunday evening in the Adeid Raha area of Sudri locality in North Kordofan.

The group said the attack targeted two civilian vehicles travelling for medical treatment.

According to the organisation, the strike forms part of a wider wave of drone attacks on civilians in North Kordofan. It said it documented 33 civilian deaths and dozens of injuries in the state over the past week.

The group warned that continued attacks on civilians, transport routes and health facilities are worsening the humanitarian crisis and called for immediate protection for civilians under international humanitarian law.