Sudan Gold Mine Airstrikes Kill at Least 72, Local Reports Put Death Toll at 200 Near Egyptian Border

KHARTOUM (Terror Monitor) — Airstrikes targeting artisanal gold-mining sites in northern Sudan near the Egyptian border have killed at least 72 people, according to the Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers, while local Sudanese newspapers have reported a substantially higher death toll of at least 200, citing survivors of the attacks.

The strikes reportedly targeted mining camps in the Shamal al-Wadi region, killing and injuring miners and forcing thousands of people to flee into nearby mountains for safety, according to reports published by local Sudanese newspapers.

Emergency Lawyers reported the initial toll on Sunday and accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the attack. The allegation could not immediately be independently verified, and Egyptian military authorities did not comment on the incident. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry also did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.

The reported discrepancy between the initial death toll of at least 72 and the higher figure of 200 cited by local newspapers underscores the difficulty of verifying casualties in remote border areas. The higher figure has not been independently confirmed.

Local Reports Describe Widespread Destruction

According to local Sudanese media reports citing survivors, the airstrikes hit artisanal gold-mining camps in the Shamal al-Wadi region, resulting in heavy casualties and widespread displacement.

The reports said hundreds of people were wounded and thousands of miners fled the affected camps, seeking shelter in nearby mountainous areas.

The remote location of the mining sites, the reported scale of the destruction and the movement of survivors into surrounding mountains have complicated efforts to establish the full extent of the casualties.

Images circulating on social media and shared by local rights groups reportedly showed bodies among the rubble and others wrapped in burial shrouds. Miners also described an airstrike on the area.

Reuters said it had not independently verified the images.

Emergency Lawyers said the attack raised serious concerns under international law, particularly if civilians engaged in mining activities were deliberately targeted. However, the identity of the aircraft involved and the circumstances surrounding the attack have not been independently established.

Egyptian Air Force Accused of Carrying Out Strike

Emergency Lawyers blamed the Egyptian air force for the airstrikes, describing the incident as a serious cross-border attack.

Neither the Egyptian military nor the country’s Foreign Ministry immediately issued a public response to the allegations, according to Reuters.

The reported strikes occurred in a sensitive border region where informal gold mining, smuggling and security operations have become increasingly significant amid Sudan’s ongoing civil war.

The available reports have not established the precise circumstances of the operation, whether the mining sites were specifically targeted or whether military authorities involved in the incident have provided an explanation.

Any assessment of responsibility will require further independent verification of the location, the aircraft involved and the circumstances in which the miners were killed.

Gold Mining Becomes a Lifeline Amid Sudan’s War

The attack highlights the growing importance of artisanal gold mining in Sudan’s wartime economy.

Since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, millions of people have lost their livelihoods as businesses have closed, infrastructure has been damaged and economic activity has been severely disrupted.

As traditional sources of employment have disappeared, increasing numbers of Sudanese have turned to informal gold mining to earn money and support their families.

Gold has also become a major source of revenue for competing armed factions and commercial networks linked to the conflict.

Experts and people working in the gold sector say substantial quantities of Sudanese gold are smuggled into neighbouring Egypt. However, the exact volume of the trade and the extent of the networks involved remain difficult to establish.

The expansion of informal mining has brought more workers into remote areas with limited healthcare, inadequate safety arrangements and little protection against violence.

The latest reported attack has raised further concerns about the vulnerability of miners working in isolated locations along Sudan’s northern frontier.

Border Region Faces Growing Security Concerns

The Sudan-Egypt border area has become increasingly sensitive because of its strategic location, mineral resources and cross-border commercial activity.

Artisanal mining sites often operate far from major towns, leaving workers dependent on makeshift shelters and limited access to medical facilities.

The reported displacement of thousands of miners into nearby mountains has created additional humanitarian concerns, particularly for those injured in the strikes or separated from their families.

Emergency assistance may also be difficult to deliver if survivors remain scattered across remote terrain.

The reported casualties could increase as more information emerges from the affected area, although the higher figure of at least 200 deaths cited by local newspapers remains unverified.

Sudan’s Civil War Continues to Claim Civilian Lives

The airstrikes occurred amid a broader escalation of violence in Sudan, where fighting between the national army and the RSF has devastated communities and displaced millions.

The conflict has increasingly involved drone warfare, airstrikes and attacks that have caused mass casualties in areas far from conventional front lines.

On Friday, a separate drone strike on a displacement camp in an army-controlled area of Blue Nile State killed approximately 31 people, according to the United Nations.

The incident highlighted the continuing risks faced by civilians seeking refuge from the fighting, particularly in areas where access to humanitarian assistance and medical care remains limited.

The United Nations has repeatedly called for civilians to be protected and for parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law.

The latest reports from northern Sudan add to growing concerns about the spread of violence into civilian economic activities and remote border communities.

Death Toll and Responsibility Remain Unclear

The reported death toll from the northern Sudan airstrikes varies considerably between sources.

Emergency Lawyers has reported at least 72 people killed, while local Sudanese newspapers, citing survivors, have put the number at 200 or more, with hundreds of additional injuries.

Neither figure has been independently established as the definitive death toll.

Similarly, the allegation that the Egyptian air force carried out the strikes remains unverified, and Egyptian authorities have not publicly commented on the incident.

Further reporting from the affected region will be needed to establish the precise number of casualties, the extent of the destruction and the circumstances surrounding the attack.

For now, the reported deaths and mass displacement underscore the growing dangers facing Sudanese civilians as the country’s war continues to disrupt livelihoods, intensify insecurity and draw vulnerable communities into an increasingly dangerous conflict.