Drone strikes kill five at South Kordofan gold mines

October 27 2026 (KADUGLI) – At least five people were killed and several others injured on Tuesday following drone strikes targeting three mining sites in the El Leri area of South Kordofan state.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) likely carried out the strikes.

This is the third such incident targeting gold mining operations in South Kordofan.

The strikes have raised concerns about their impact on thousands of workers in the region’s artisanal mining sector.

Local sources told the Sudan Tribune that at least five people were killed and six others were wounded in the drone strikes on artisanal gold mines in El Leri.

The sources said a drone targeted water mills at the Al-Akhdar mine with two missiles, killing five people and injuring two others.

Shortly after the first strike, the attack hit another water mill site at the Al-Karkar mine, injuring one person.

The attack then extended to the west of the Al-Dambalo mine in El Leri, where three people were injured after a gold processing site was targeted.

The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company, the Ministry of Minerals’ regulatory arm, previously accused the RSF of orchestrating attacks on mining sites in South Kordofan.

The eastern region of South Kordofan state hosts many artisanal gold miners, particularly in the Talodi, El Leri, and Tadamon localities.

Mining is a primary source of income for thousands of people in these areas.

The artisanal mining sector employs more than two million people across Sudan.

This number has increased significantly since the war broke out in April 2023.

Millions work in remote areas of Sudan under harsh conditions, producing more than 80% of the country’s total extracted gold.