Nyala, June 01 (Darfur24)
At least 12 people were killed and several others injured on Monday when a drone struck a gathering of civilians and military personnel in the town of Kabum, South Darfur State, amid escalating tribal violence that has already left dozens dead and displaced hundreds.
Four sources from Kabum, located about 120 kilometers west of Nyala, told Darfur24 that the drone attack targeted a large gathering near the town’s market.
A medical worker in Kabum said around 12 people were killed in the strike, while several others sustained injuries, some of them critical and requiring surgical intervention.
One leader of the Native Administration in South Darfur, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an unidentified drone approached from the east and fired three missiles at the gathering before leaving the area.
He said residents clearly heard the drone before the attack, which left multiple casualties. Several of the wounded are receiving treatment in rural hospitals.
The strike came as tensions continue to rise between the Salamat and Bani Halba tribes, whose renewed clashes since Saturday have killed about 16 people, injured others, and forced hundreds of residents to flee.
The tribal leader also reported growing military mobilization by both sides following Sunday’s violence. He said military reinforcements, consisting of five combat vehicles led by an RSF officer, were dispatched to the area but later withdrew after coming under attack from one of the rival groups.
According to the source, authorities have formed a joint military and civilian committee headed by RSF First Division Commander Saleh Al-Fouti, Brig. Gen. Taha Hamidan and Col. Khalid Al-Ghali Khairallah to help contain the conflict and restore dialogue between the parties.
The Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS) condemned the attack and accused the Sudanese army of carrying it out.
In a statement signed by spokesperson Ahmed Taqad Lissan, the alliance said the strike targeted Kabum market with three missiles, hitting a restaurant and a passenger vehicle and killing 12 civilians while injuring dozens more. The alliance vowed to respond “at the appropriate time and place.”
The Salamat and Bani Halba tribes previously engaged in deadly fighting in August 2023 that left hundreds dead or injured, destroyed villages, and triggered large-scale displacement. Although the two sides announced a final peace agreement in December 2025, recent violence has raised fears of a broader resurgence of the conflict.