Drone attack on market in Sudan kills 11, as air war civilian toll mounts

On March 13, 2026, a drone attack on the Adikong market in western Sudan near the Chad border killed 11 people and wounded dozens, including children. The UN reports that escalating air attacks in the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have killed over 200 civilians since March 4. The UN Human Rights Chief expressed alarm over the increasing use of drones by both sides in populated areas. Recent strikes attributed to the SAF in West Kordofan killed at least 152 civilians, while an RSF drone attack on a school and health center in White Nile State killed 17. Drones have become a key weapon in the conflict that began in April 2023.

On Wednesday, March 12, 2026, a drone attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the village of Shukeiri, White Nile State, Sudan, killed at least 17 people, including students, teachers, and health workers. The attack targeted a secondary school and a health center, also wounding 10 others. The Sudanese Doctors Network condemned the attack, stating it was a continuation of RSF violations in the region, including targeting civilian facilities. Since being pushed out of Khartoum in March 2025, the RSF has shifted its campaign to other regions, leading to accusations of war crimes and an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into both parties of the conflict.

At least 17 people, mostly schoolgirls, were killed in Shukeiri, Sudan on Wednesday when a drone, allegedly deployed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), struck a secondary school and healthcare center. Ten others were wounded in the attack in White Nile province. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that two teachers and a healthcare worker were also among the dead, and that there was no military presence in the village. The RSF has not commented on the incident. This attack is the latest in Sudan's ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023 between the military and the RSF, resulting in over 40,000 deaths and potential war crimes.

A drone strike hit a secondary school and medical center in Shukeiri village, White Nile province, southern Sudan, killing at least 17 people, mostly schoolgirls. The attack occurred on Wednesday, with three girls suffering serious injuries, two of whom underwent surgeries at the Douiem Hospital. The Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are blamed for the strike, which also injured at least 10 people. The RSF did not respond to a request for comment. This latest deadly attack is part of a nearly three-year war in Sudan that has killed over 40,000 people, according to UN figures, with aid groups estimating the true number could be higher.