A drone strike on 10 November 2026 claimed the lives of nine people displaced from a village in the southeastern Blue Nile State of Sudan, and left several others injured, according to a local official who spoke to Xinhua by phone. The attack hit a group of evacuees moving from the village of Bani Shako in the Kurmuk locality toward Damazin, the capital city of Blue Nile State. Kurmuk Commissioner Abdel Ati Mohamed al‑Faki attributed the incident to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, stating that the drones were deployed by that group.
In a separate statement, a source from the Sudanese military reported that the Sudanese Armed Forces have stepped up air operations in the region, targeting positions belonging to the Rapid Support Forces and their ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North. The author said that continuous air strikes have intensified the conflict in several districts of the Blue Nile State. According to the military source, the increased frequency of aerial assaults on residential gatherings and villages in Kurmuk has caused more casualties and has prompted waves of displacement toward Damazin.
The incident comes amid an ongoing civil war that began in mid‑April 2023, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and forced millions of people to flee both within Sudan and across its borders. The Blue Nile State, due to its strategic location, has frequently seen clashes and humanitarian crises. Khartoum’s official channels have warned of escalating attacks in the area, stating that there is a "need for urgent cease‑fire measures to protect civilians". Some factions have claimed that more than 20 drones had already targeted villages in the region in the last month.
Local residents describe the convoy as a group of men, women, and children loaded onto packed trucks and tarpaulin‑covered wagons, all hurriedly traveling to seek temporary shelter in the provincial capital. Witnesses in Bani Shako reported that the drones landed almost randomly, dropping shrapnel that struck the vehicles, causing several fatalities that were confirmed by the prosecutor’s office in Kurmuk after a coroner’s examination. The bodies of the victims were reportedly transported to a medical facility in Damazin for burial, a process that the local health department said took place under security guards because of ongoing tensions.
Human rights observers have expressed concern about the pattern of drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in the region. They note that the latest strike adds to a series of incidents over the past few months in which government forces reportedly used unmanned aircraft to target villages in the southeastern provinces. The United Nations has called for an independent inquiry into the strikes, citing that civilians are specific targets of these unmanned aircraft, which have already caused significant loss of life in the conflict.
While the rapid response teams have mobilized to search for survivors and provide emergency medical assistance, the situation remains fluid. The Sudanese government has reiterated its commitment to protecting civilians, but it positions itself as responding to rebel attacks in the area. The conflicting narrative between the Rapid Support Forces, which claim to act in defense, and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which accuse the paramilitary, continue to shape the public perception of the conflict.
In the broader context, this incident highlights the rising toll on civilians in displaced populations amid intensified air operations. The pattern of drone strikes, as described by the Federation of Arab Journalists, indicates that the humanitarian crisis is likely to worsen unless an international mediation mechanism is put in place to broker a cease‑fire and demilitarize the Blue Nile region. The international community may increase attention to the humanitarian needs of the displaced as the next week approaches, especially if the conflict escalates further. The situation remains closely monitored by local authorities and global observers alike, with future developments expected to shape the discourse surrounding the ongoing battle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
