Death toll from drone strike in Sudan’s South Kordofan rises to 79
December 5, 2025 (KALOGI) – The death toll from a drone strike on civilian facilities in the Kalogi locality of Sudan’s South Kordofan state has risen to 79, including 43 children, a local official said on Friday.
Issam al-Din al-Sayed Angalo, Executive Director of Kalogi, blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack, which he described as one of the deadliest in the region since the conflict began.
A drone fired three missiles at the town in the eastern part of the state on Thursday. The first missile struck a kindergarten, causing initial casualties, Angalo said.
A second missile was fired as residents gathered to rescue the wounded. A third strike hit the rural hospital where victims were being transported, killing and wounding more people and destroying large sections of the facility.
“The official number of victims counted as a result of the drone bombing has reached about 79 dead, including 32 men, 4 women, and 43 children,” Angalo said in a statement.
He added that 38 people were injured, including 21 men, 6 women, and 11 children. Some of the wounded were evacuated from the area by relatives for treatment.
Angalo warned that the death toll could rise further as the hospital receiving the victims had also been bombed.
Violence in South Kordofan has escalated recently. The Sudanese army launched simultaneous military operations this week in the localities of Abbasiya, Abu Karshola, and Habila in the eastern part of the state, the first such move since the conflict erupted in April 2023.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and allied RSF forces have continued to shell the besieged cities of Kadugli and Dilling using heavy artillery and drones, targeting civilian infrastructure and displacement centres.
Aid groups condemn child killings
UNICEF and Save the Children on Friday issued strong condemnations of the drone strike, expressing shock at reports that a kindergarten was targeted.
“The intentional or reckless harm to children, or attacks on places where they should be safe, is indefensible,” said Francesco Lanino, Save the Children’s Deputy Country Director for Operations.
Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative in Sudan, described the incident as a “horrific violation” of children’s rights.
“Children must not pay the price for the conflict,” Yett said, calling for an immediate halt to attacks and unimpeded humanitarian access.
Yett warned that the humanitarian situation in South Kordofan is critical, citing confirmed famine conditions in Kadugli and Dilling. He noted that a near-total collapse of medical services and school closures has left children without education and exposed to severe psychological distress.