Air strikes kill at least 200 at gold mine near Sudan-Egypt border, survivors say
October 11, 2026 (AL-ANSARI, Red Sea State) – Air strikes targeting artisanal gold mining sites near the Sudanese-Egyptian border killed at least 200 people on Saturday and severely wounded hundreds more, three survivors said.
The toll is feared to rise due to the lack of local healthcare facilities and the rugged, remote terrain.
Warplanes launched heavy strikes on gold prospecting areas in the Shamal al-Wadi area in Red Sea state’s far northeast near the Egyptian border on Saturday, marking the second such incident in the area over the past three months.
Survivors told Sudan Tribune that warplanes mounted a surprise attack around 6 a.m. on Saturday as miners prepared for morning shifts, while others were still underground in excavation pits.
The aircraft fired more than five missiles directly into miner camps, survivors said, destroying shelters and striking shafts that collapsed on workers trapped inside.
One survivor said the death toll exceeded 200, adding that hundreds were wounded, many critically.
Some wounded individuals reached the market in Al-Ansari for emergency first aid at a local clinic, the survivor said, while others were transported for treatment to Hayya and Port Sudan in Red Sea state, as well as Atbara in River Nile state.
The survivors accused the Egyptian military of carrying out the strike, citing past incidents at the site. They said Egyptian border guards had previously taken full control of the mine and set up a camp there before dismantling it.
The strikes displaced more than 15,000 workers, forcing them to flee into surrounding caves and mountains, miners said.
According to the miners, the attack occurred near an area where an Egyptian patrol had previously warned workers not to approach, claiming it lay within Egyptian territory.
Miners said they regularly observe heavy excavation machinery and large trucks hauling rock across the border into Egypt from the site, which is rich in mineral reserves including gold, iron, and silver.
One miner said a 50-kilogram bag of raw ore from the site can yield between 20 and 30 grams of gold once crushed and processed.
Videos circulating on social media showed the aftermath of the air strikes, depicting heavy casualties alongside footage of aircraft that users said entered from Egyptian territory to hit targets in Sudan. Sudan Tribune could not immediately verify the footage.
Artisanal mining sites across the region have drawn an influx of thousands of workers in recent months amid record gold prices, notably at the al-Oqaydat mine, one of the richest deposits in the Shamal al-Wadi area.