Egypt Airstrikes Kill 23 Sudanese Miners in Jabal Al-Uqaydat Mining Region

On June 16, Ahmed, a 20-year-old miner from western Sudan, said he awoke to the sound of an airstrike on the mine he was working in in Egypt’s Jabal al-Uqaydat mining region, north of the Halayeb Triangle.

“Since late December 2025, plainclothes police officers across the country have been arbitrarily arresting people originating from Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, and other sub‑Saharan African countries after identity checks in the street or at their workplaces”

Amnesty International

Mada Masr reported that the death toll from the strikes now stands at a more conservative 23 people, citing a Sudanese medical source, after earlier higher estimates circulated on social media.

Amnesty International

Ayin Network described a separate week of escalating violence in Sudan, saying drones belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) heavily targeted fuel stations and the electricity substation in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State.

Ayin Network also said a bus ticket to Omdurman now costs 210,000 Sudanese pounds per seat, up from 130,000 pounds about two weeks ago, as residents left El Obeid amid fuel scarcity and disrupted internal transportation.

In the same Mada Masr account, two other senior Egyptian officials told the outlet that Egypt conducted “airstrikes against Sudanese groups that crossed into Egyptian territory and are engaged in gold mining without obtaining the necessary licenses from the relevant authorities,” in the words of one official.

Amnesty International said that since late December 2025, plainclothes police officers across Egypt have been arbitrarily arresting people originating from Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, and other sub-Saharan African countries after identity checks in the street or at their workplaces.

Amnesty International quoted researcher Mahmoud Shalaby saying, “Refugees who fled war, persecution or humanitarian crises should not be forced to live every day in fear of being arbitrarily arrested and sent back to a place where they risk grave human rights abuses.”

Dabanga Radio TV Online

Dabanga Radio TV Online reported that Darfur Victims Advocacy accused Egyptian forces of carrying out a fresh operation against Sudanese gold miners near the Sudan-Egypt border, arresting 67 miners in the Wadi El Atri area on June 21.

Dabanga Radio TV Online also reported that Sovereignty Council President and Commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan said authorities were investigating the incident and urged Sudanese citizens not to cross into Egyptian territory.

Writer and journalist Rasha Awad told Radio Dabanga that adopting the Egyptian narrative risks shifting responsibility onto the victims and could undermine efforts to establish accountability if the attack occurred inside Sudan.

Ayin Network said thousands of miners returned after the week’s border violence, adding that Burhan promised to investigate airstrikes.

“24 June 2026 To keep our readers informed of the multitude of events taking place in Sudan amidst the ongoing, devastating war, we have developed a series of weekly news briefs covering major topics of the week”

شبكة عاين

Dabanga Radio TV Online reported humanitarian concerns at Sudan’s northern border crossings, saying officials at the Argeen border crossing said more than 3,000 deported Sudanese miners have recently passed through the area enroute to Dongola.

The same report said local volunteers reported between 450 and 500 returnees arrive daily, while the crossing struggles with inadequate services and limited capacity.

A Wadi Halfa Emergency Room warning in the report said growing numbers of deportees and returnees are placing severe pressure on transport, accommodation and humanitarian assistance in the border region.

Dabanga Radio TV Online also said Human rights groups called for an independent investigation into the border incidents, urging authorities to preserve evidence, protect witnesses and establish the fate of detainees.