Drone strike on Abyei market kills 153 in disputed Sudan–South Sudan region
South Sudan blames Sudan for the attack on Amiet market, which set a fuel depot ablaze and displaced about 8,000 people. The UN says recent drone attacks have killed more than 250.
At a glance
- A drone strike on Amiet market in the disputed Abyei region on Monday, October 19, killed 153 people, Abyei's caretaker information minister Yohana Akol Ngor said; the toll is expected to rise.
- About 8,000 people were displaced; some bodies were burned beyond recognition after a fuel depot in the market caught fire.
- South Sudan accused Sudan of the strike and summoned Sudan's ambassador; sources said the depot had been used by the RSF for supplies.
- The UN condemned the attack and said recent drone strikes have killed more than 250 people.
A drone strike on a busy market in the disputed Abyei region has killed 153 people, local officials said — one of the deadliest attacks linked to Sudan's war, and one that has now spilled across the border with South Sudan.
What happened
| Date | Monday, October 19, 2026 |
| Place | Amiet market, Abyei region (disputed by Sudan and South Sudan) |
| Killed | 153, according to Abyei's caretaker information minister; expected to rise |
| Injured | Dozens; more than 20 treated for wounds including burns at a nearby hospital |
| Displaced | About 8,000 people |
| Target | A fuel depot in the market, which caught fire |
An eyewitness heard five large explosions before the fuel depot went up in flames. He said he saw no fighters at the market, which sold everyday goods. Some bodies were burned beyond recognition, and recovery work continued while fires still burned.
Who is blamed
- South Sudan accused Sudan of carrying out the strike and summoned Sudan's ambassador in protest. Juba says it has not taken sides in Sudan's civil war.
- Diplomatic sources, an aid worker and a conflict expert said the strike hit a fuel depot that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had used for supplies. Experts say Abyei has become a key transit point for RSF logistics.
- Sudan's army and the RSF did not immediately respond.
Abyei's caretaker information minister Yohana Akol Ngor described the situation as "terrible".
UN reaction
The UN condemned the strike. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN is "alarmed by the relentless drone attacks across Sudan" and the damage to critical infrastructure. The UN says drone attacks in recent days have pushed the death toll above 250, including about 80 killed at a transport hub in West Kordofan on Sunday.
What is Abyei?
Abyei is an oil-rich area on the border between Sudan and South Sudan. Its status was left unresolved when South Sudan became independent in 2011, and both countries claim it. It has a special administration and a UN peacekeeping force, but no final settlement.
Why it matters
Sudan's war, which began in April 2023 between the army and the RSF, has created the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis. Drone strikes reaching into disputed border areas raise the risk of drawing in neighbouring countries, and attacks on fuel depots and markets cut off food and supplies for people already in desperate need.
What happens next
Recovery efforts and the count of the dead continue. South Sudan is expected to raise the attack at regional and UN forums, and pressure is growing for a humanitarian truce and a wider arms embargo on Sudan.
Questions people are asking
What happened in Abyei?
On October 19, 2026, drones struck Amiet market in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan, hitting a fuel depot and setting it ablaze. Local officials say 153 people were killed and about 8,000 displaced.
What is Abyei?
An oil-rich area on the border between Sudan and South Sudan whose status has been disputed since South Sudan's independence in 2011. It is under a special administrative arrangement and has a UN peacekeeping presence.
Who carried out the Abyei drone strike?
South Sudan accused Sudan. Sudan's army and the RSF did not immediately comment; sources said the target was a fuel depot previously used by the RSF.
