Drone Strike on Market in Disputed Abyei Region Kills at Least 153, Local Officials Say

A drone strike on a market in Abyei, a border region disputed by Sudan and South Sudan, killed at least 153 people, a local official said on Tuesday. The strike hit the Amiet Market around midday Monday and a nearby fuel depot, igniting a fire that was still burning Tuesday. Yohanna Akol Ngor, Abyei's caretaker information minister, said the toll had risen from 73 reported the previous day, and that about 8,000 people were displaced. He and South Sudan's Foreign Ministry blamed Sudan's military but gave no evidence. South Sudan said it had summoned Sudan's ambassador to protest. The attack came amid the civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which is reportedly active in Abyei.

Right-leaning Newsmax carries the wire account: the market strike, the fuel depot, the 153 deaths and the continuing fire, citing a local official. Left-leaning The New York Times places the attack in the wider civil war, noting both sides use drones across long distances, with heavy civilian tolls. Alternative outlets AP and Deutsche Welle give the most detail; Deutsche Welle adds that the blame on Sudan's army lacked evidence, cites a May UN mission warning about the RSF's presence, and describes the diplomatic protest.