KHARTOUM — Drone strikes on civilian vehicles in Sudan killed at least 20 people in recent days, according to rights groups. The attacks occurred in early July 2026 in and around Khartoum and North Kordofan.

On July 8, 2026, a drone strike on the outskirts of Khartoum killed 10 civilians, including five women from the same family, as they drove to a wedding. The Sudan Doctors Network blamed the attack on a road west of Omdurman on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stating the strike "was deliberate and carried out using a guided drone." The organization called for the international community to pressure RSF leadership to stop targeting civilians.

Emergency Lawyers reported that 13 civilians, including five women, were killed when a drone hit their vehicle as they headed to a wedding in al-Shaatout town in North Kordofan province on July 6, 2026. A separate drone strike on July 7, 2026, hit a transport vehicle near a water facility in the province, killing two people, the group said. "This attack is part of an escalating pattern of drone attacks on civilians as drones continue to fly over the northern parts of the province...monitoring residents' movements," Emergency Lawyers said in a statement.

North Kordofan has seen a surge in drone strikes with repeated international concerns about the RSF closing in on el-Obeid. El-Obeid is home to the army's 5th Infantry Division. Drone strikes on el-Obeid have destroyed civilian infrastructure, including power facilities and neighborhoods, and targeted bridges and key supply routes, according to the U.N.

Why It Matters

The war in Sudan started in April 2023 after long-simmering tensions between the army and the RSF. The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced some 13 million people. The war has pushed many parts of the country into famine, and more than 30 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.