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Sudan gold mine airstrike: At least 72 dead
Published : Monday, 12 October, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Observer Online Report
At least 72 civilian gold mine workers have been killed in an airstrike near the Egypt-Sudan border, according to a regional human rights organisation.
Emergency Lawyers, a human rights group based in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, said the attack took place on Saturday, October 10, in an area around a popular gold mine in Sudan’s River Nile State.
At around 6am, a warplane reportedly fired more than five missiles at a camp housing mine workers. The strikes caused workers’ accommodation and mining pits to collapse, leaving many people dead and injured.
Citing a survivor, Sudan Tribune reported that the actual death toll could be much higher, with a large number of people seriously injured.
Neither the Egyptian government nor Sudan’s authorities have issued an official statement on the attack.
Egypt has previously faced allegations of carrying out deadly strikes against gold prospectors near the border as part of efforts to curb illegal activities. The Egyptian government says it is conducting strict security operations to prevent illegal migration, drug smuggling and unauthorised mining along the border.
Emergency Lawyers described the attack on civilians as a grave violation of international humanitarian law and potentially a war crime. The group also said the incident highlighted the lack of government control over parts of Sudanese territory.
Sudan’s ongoing civil war has driven people living near border areas to extract gold through highly dangerous and unauthorised operations in an effort to earn a living.
The gold-rich River Nile State lies in a border region historically associated with smuggling. Illegally mined gold from the area can be easily smuggled across borders, with proceeds reportedly serving as a major source of income for armed groups operating in conflict zones.
The influx of illicit Sudanese gold into the Egyptian market has also raised concerns about potential damage to the country’s legal gold trade. In June, Egyptian border guards seized 86 tonnes of gold ore and mining equipment.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
