Sudan—A deadly drone attack on a United Nations peacekeeping base in Sudan has killed six Bangladeshi soldiers and wounded eight others, prompting an emergency response by Pakistani peacekeepers who successfully rescued dozens of personnel amid ongoing hostilities.
The strike targeted a logistics facility of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Kadugli, South Kordofan, on Saturday, according to the United Nations.
All casualties were Bangladeshi nationals serving under the UN mission in the disputed Abyei region.
Deadly strike on UNISFA facility
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack, calling it “unjustifiable” and warning that assaults on UN peacekeepers “may constitute war crimes under international law.”
He stressed the need for accountability and renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan to enable a political process led by the Sudanese people.
Sudan’s military blamed the drone attack on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group locked in a brutal civil war with the army since April 2023.
The RSF has denied responsibility, dismissing the accusations as false.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands displaced millions and created what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with famine conditions emerging in several areas.
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of peacekeepers and urged the UN to provide urgent medical and logistical support.
The Bangladesh Army confirmed that the security situation in the area remains unstable and that clashes with hostile elements are continuing.
Pakistani peacekeepers launch rescue operation
Following the attack, a Pakistani Quick Reaction Force (QRF) was immediately dispatched to the UN base.
Pakistani peacekeepers engaged the hostile threat and successfully evacuated 41 Bangladeshi soldiers including eight injured personnel, demonstrating active combat-rescue operations under fire.
UNISFA has been deployed in Abyei since 2011 to protect civilians in the oil-rich region disputed between Sudan and South Sudan.
The mission was renewed by the UN Security Council just last month despite growing security risks.
The use of drones against a UN facility marks a serious escalation in the conflict and raises renewed concerns over the safety of peacekeepers operating in increasingly volatile environments.
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