21.10.2026 07:50
The toll has worsened in a drone attack on a market in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan. While the death toll, initially announced as 73, has risen to 153, approximately 8,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. As access to the bodies was difficult due to the fire that broke out after the attack, the South Sudan administration held the Sudanese army responsible for the attack.
The death toll is rising in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack on a marketplace in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan on October 19. The death toll, initially announced as 73 according to preliminary findings, has risen to 153. While access to the bodies is difficult due to the fire that broke out after the attack, approximately 8,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.
DEATH TOLL RISES FROM 73 TO 153
The attack occurred on Monday, October 19, at Amiet Market north of Abyei town. A large fire broke out after UAVs struck the fuel depot at the marketplace.
Acting Abyei Information Minister Yohana Akol Ngor stated in his statement on October 20 that the death toll, initially announced as 73, had risen to 153.
Ngor noted that the death toll could rise further due to the ongoing fire.
DIFFICULTY REACHING BODIES
The fire that started in the fuel depot after the attack made search and recovery operations difficult. It was reported that some bodies were completely burned and that the scale of destruction in the area was quite large.
Describing the latest situation in the area, Ngor said, "The fire is still ongoing. Therefore, efforts to recover the bodies of those who lost their lives continue. The situation is horrific."
WITNESS DESCRIBES MOMENTS OF HORROR
A witness who was in the area during the attack described hearing five large explosions in succession and then a fire breaking out in the fuel depot.
Stating that after the explosions people moved to rescue the injured, the witness said that shrapnel hit the bodies of many people.
The witness stated that at just one point he saw the lifeless bodies of 28 people burned.
8,000 PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR HOMES
After the attack, approximately 8,000 people living in the area were displaced.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced that more than 20 people injured in the attack were brought to Ameth Bek Hospital.
It was stated that among the injured were people with severe burns, while medical teams were reported to be continuing surgical intervention, wound care, and emergency treatment efforts.
SOUTH SUDAN ACCUSES SUDANESE ARMY
The South Sudan administration reacted by holding the Sudanese army responsible for the attack.
South Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Sudan's ambassador to the ministry to protest the attack. In the statement, it demanded an end to military activities that endanger the lives and property of civilians.
A senior official from the Sudanese army confirmed that the UAV operation was carried out. The official argued that the target was fuel tankers sent to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and stated that civilians were not targeted.
The parties' statements regarding the identities of those killed in the attack and the people targeted could not be independently verified.
CLASHES CONTINUE IN SUDAN
The clashes that began between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan in April 2023 continue in different parts of the country.
The recent intensification of mutual UAV attacks is leading to an increase in civilian casualties and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The status of the oil-rich Abyei region, which has long been a disputed issue between Sudan and South Sudan, has also not been resolved. Following South Sudan's independence in 2011, the sovereignty dispute between the two countries continues.