Drone strikes kill 8 civilians in Sudan's North Kordofan, group says

CAIRO — Drone strikes have killed eight civilians and wounded dozens in Sudan's Kordofan region, a rights group said Friday.

Emergency Lawyers, an independent group documenting atrocities in Sudan, said a drone targeted a group of civilians traveling Thursday in the desert town of Sowdari in North Korodofan state. As others rushed to help the victims, a second drone struck, the group said.

The group said in a statement posted on Facebook that targeting civilians and then attacking again while they were being rescued amounts to a violation of international humanitarian law and is a war crime. It called for an independent investigation to determine who was responsible.

Sudan plunged into all-out war in April 2023 as fighting erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military. The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people killed, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a conflict monitoring group. Aid groups say the figure is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.

Drone warfare has become a defining feature in the country's war, with both sides carrying out strikes. Drone strikes are now the leading cause of death in Sudan, according to the United Nations, accounting for 80% of civilian deaths during the first four months of 2026.