Drone Attack Targets Funeral in Sudan, Leaves Many Dead

Wed Nov 05 2025 03:29:03 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A deadly drone strike at a funeral in Sudan's North Kordofan state has resulted in at least 40 fatalities as violence escalates between government forces and paramilitary groups.

In a tragic incident in North Kordofan state, Sudan, a drone strike attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted a funeral gathering, killing at least 40 mourners. Many casualties occurred before victims could reach medical assistance. Amidst a backdrop of intensified conflict in the region, the UN has raised alarms about the humanitarian crisis and potential war crimes being committed by the RSF. Calls for peace and negotiations continue as the situation exacerbates.

At least 40 people in Sudan have been killed in a drone strike that targeted a funeral taking place outside the army-held city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan state, officials and activists report.

The attack on al-Luweib village during the gathering was blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), although the RSF has yet to issue a comment.

Many of the deceased reportedly died before reaching a hospital in el-Obeid, which connects the capital, Khartoum, to the western region of Darfur.

Fighting has intensified in this oil-rich Kordofan area as approximately 20,000 people fled to el-Obeid after the RSF captured Bara town, located 30km (18 miles) north of the city.

This incident coincides with reports of mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and looting by RSF fighters, prompting international concern about potential war crimes. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has warned of the severity of these acts.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate halt to the violence in Sudan, emphasizing the rapid worsening of the humanitarian crisis. He urged both the army and the RSF to engage in negotiations to end the ongoing violence.

In the wake of this drone strike, the North Kordofan Resistance Committee reported that the attack occurred while citizens were paying their respects in a funeral tent. Humanitarian officials have confirmed that the RSF's military actions are preventing supplies from reaching besieged areas, including el-Fasher and Kadugli, exacerbating the situation further.

As the civil war continues since April 2023, the death toll has surpassed 150,000, with approximately 12 million individuals displaced, marking it as a critical humanitarian crisis.