Egypt Attacks Sudanese Gold Mines in Red Sea State, Survivors Flee to Al-Ansari Market

An air and ground attack hit artisanal gold mining sites in Sudan’s Red Sea State, with the “Sahih Sudan” platform saying the Jabal al-Aqad mine in the Jibit locality experienced two airstrikes carried out by two aircraft belonging to the Egyptian government at 6:00 a.m Tuesday.

“Sovereignty Council President and Commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, has promised to investigate reports that Egyptian forces attacked Sudanese miners near the border, amid mounting calls for an independent international investigation into alleged Egyptian military operations inside Sudanese territory”

Dabanga Radio TV Online

The Standard reported that eyewitnesses and local sources cited by Sahih Sudan said two strikes hit the Jabal al-Aqaydat mine in the Jibit area at 6 a.m on June 16, with a separate strike targeting a second mine nearby.

Dabanga Radio TV Online

Survivors told The Standard they fled on foot for 120 kilometres to reach the al-Ansari market, one of Sudan’s oldest mining trading centres, where the dead and injured were taken.

The Guardian Nigeria News said survivors were forced to flee on foot for approximately 120 kilometers to reach the nearest water source at the al-Ansari market, and that the dead and wounded were transported there while some who fled remained stranded on the road.

Both accounts described a broader pattern of violence around the mines, with The Standard adding that a ground operation involving about 60 military vehicles with air cover targeted the second site.

Sovereignty Council President and Commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan promised to investigate reports that Egyptian forces attacked Sudanese miners near the border during a visit to El Rataj in Red Sea state.

Dabanga Radio TV Online quoted El Burhan saying authorities would investigate reports that Sudanese citizens had been attacked after crossing into Egypt, as miners alleged aerial bombardments in a gold mining area on June 17 and 18.

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The Standard also reported that Sudanese political parties accused Egypt, with the Republican Party describing the incident as "treacherous Egyptian aggression" and calling for a unified national response.

In the same Standard account, the Darfur Victims Support Organisation said it held the Egyptian army fully responsible and appealed to the UN Security Council for urgent intervention, describing it as the third such attack in a short period.

The Standard further said an adviser to Sudan's Sovereignty Council chairman Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Amjad Farid, wrote on X that the incident required a response grounded in "the logic of statehood and responsibility" and that direct communication channels with Cairo remain open.

A separate report said Sudan’s government decided to establish a joint security force drawn from all military and police formations to combat gold smuggling, with duties including protecting mining markets and mines, borders, airports, and border crossings with neighboring countries.

“Anger and widespread condemnation erupted in Sudanese political circles following an air and ground attack on artisanal gold mining sites in the North Valley region of Red Sea State, and the attack resulted in the dozens of deaths and injuries among miners”

The Guardian Nigeria News

In the same bulletin, Sudanese army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Asim Awad Abdulwahab, said Sudan possesses a package of verified evidence of Ethiopian and UAE involvement in drone strikes that hit several areas, describing the matter as a violation of Sudanese sovereignty and a breach of international law.

Dabanga Radio TV Online described heightened tensions in El Rataj near the Sudanese-Egyptian border, where disputes between the Bishariyn and Rashaida communities over market ownership and administration have raised fears of tribal clashes.

That report said the Red Sea State Security Committee deployed military reinforcements to the area following an emergency meeting chaired by Governor Maj Gen Mustafa Mohamed Nour, and that authorities said the deployment aimed to restore order, arrest offenders and enforce state authority in the border region.

It also said Egyptian Armed Forces announced a security operation in the country’s southern border region, saying they had arrested 223 suspects, including 136 foreign nationals, and seized vehicles, weapons, communications equipment and mining machinery.