Al-Junaynah, December 8 (Darfur24)
Authorities in Adikonq, West Darfur, announced on Saturday that a drone strike on the area has left 18 people dead, including 10 Chadian nationals, and dozens more wounded or missing.
The attack targeted the weekly market on Friday, causing what officials described as “significant human and material losses.”
Badr al-Din Daoud, director of the Asanga administrative unit west of El Geneina, said in a press statement that initial figures confirm 18 fatalities, among them 10 Chadians, while rescue teams continue to search for the missing amid the charred remains of market stalls.
He added that several of the critically injured were transported across the border to hospitals in Chad for advanced medical care, while those with moderate and minor injuries are being treated at the Adikonq Hospital.
Badr al-Din also announced the formation of a specialized committee to document the number of dead, wounded, and missing, and to assess the financial losses sustained by the market. He said the bombing destroyed multiple vehicles, including trucks loaded with food supplies. The driver of one relief truck was confirmed dead.
A Darfur24 correspondent who visited the scene reported widespread destruction of property. Eyewitnesses said several bodies were unrecognizable due to the intensity of the explosion and subsequent fires, and some victims were buried before they could be identified.
Witnesses noted that most market stalls were constructed from simple local materials and covered with tarpaulins, making them highly vulnerable to the fires that swept through the market following the strike.