Sudanese Armed Forces Launch Drone Strike on Adikong Fuel Market, Killing Four, Wounding Dozens
Key Takeaways
- Drone strike at Adikong border market killed four, wounded over two dozen civilians
- MSF and witnesses blamed the Sudanese Armed Forces for the Adikong drone strike
- The drone struck fuel reserves at the market, triggering massive explosions
Adikong market strike
A drone strike hit a busy fuel market at Adikong near Sudan’s border with Chad on Thursday, causing massive explosions that killed four people and wounded over two dozen civilians, according to medical groups and reporting from the region.
“Drone strike in Sudan near the border with Chad kills 4, injures many more CAIRO (AP) — Massive explosions caused by a drone strike at a market in the Darfur region near Sudan ’s border with Chad on Thursday killed four people and wounded over two dozen civilians, a medical group said”
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) blamed the strike on the army and said the drone struck fuel reserves at the Adikong market, marking the second fatal drone strike in Adikong in less than a month.
Casualties and pattern
Medical and aid sources gave a more detailed casualty breakdown: MSF reported 23 people injured, including seven children and four women.
Humanitarian reporting underscores that these market strikes increasingly harm civilians.
At the same time other local reports described separate deadly drone strikes in West Kordofan and West Darfur that produced higher casualty counts, illustrating a pattern of lethal strikes on marketplaces and towns across regions.
Military response and border context
No official statement was released by the Sudanese military about the Thursday strike, though reporting cited anonymous officials who said military operations in the area were aimed at targeting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“CAIRO (AP) — Massive explosions caused by a drone strike at a market in the Darfur region near Sudan ’s border with Chad on Thursday killed four people and wounded over two dozen civilians, a medical group said”
The Adikong incident also followed the reopening of the Adré border crossing with Chad, raising cross-border security concerns among regional observers.
Wider war context
The strike occurred against the broader backdrop of a war that began in April 2023 between the army and the RSF.
The conflict has devastated Darfur and Kordofan and has been marked by a surge in drone attacks that humanitarian actors say have hampered aid operations.
U.N. figures cited in reporting estimate the war has killed more than 40,000 people, though aid groups say the toll is likely higher.
Humanitarian appeals and impact
Local sources and alliances called for urgent regional and international intervention after a string of strikes that included markets and towns.
“Drone strikes and artillery bombardment were reported in several parts of western and southern Sudan on Thursday, as fighting between rival forces continued to threaten civilian areas and key supply routes”
Separate reporting noted continued artillery bombardment in South Kordofan and persistent food insecurity despite slight easing of immediate famine risk in Kadugli.
This underscores the compounded humanitarian emergency across multiple states.
More on Sudan
Drone Strike in Goma Kills French UN Aid Worker; M23 Blames Congolese Forces, Kinshasa Denies
10 sources compared
M23 Rebels Accuse Congolese Army of Drone Strikes That Kill French Aid Worker in Goma
10 sources compared
Chad Shuts Border With Sudan After RSF Cross-Border Attack Kills Chadian Soldiers, Civilians
21 sources compared
UN Fact-Finding Mission Finds RSF Siege of El-Fasher Bears Hallmarks of Genocide
33 sources compared