Sudanese army drone strike kills 13 near Chad border
March 12, 2026 (EL GENEINA) – A Sudanese army drone strike killed 13 people, including Chadian nationals, and wounded several others on Thursday after targeting groups active in fuel smuggling from Chad through the Reuters-style Adre crossing.
The Sudanese military has intensified its air campaign over recent weeks against positions in the Darfur region. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) currently control the majority of the territory in the western province.
The army maintains its strikes are directed at military hardware, including advanced air defence systems and drones. These operations are part of a broader strategy intended to cripple the RSF’s defensive and offensive capabilities.
A military source told Reuters that armed forces drones targeted groups involved in the transport of fuel from Chad into Sudanese territory. The source said the fuel was being moved through Adre toward El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State.
The same source added that the targeted groups included Chadian traders who allegedly exploit border instability to supply fuel to elements linked to the RSF. These intermediaries then facilitate the delivery of the fuel into El Geneina.
The El Geneina Emergency Rooms Coordination Council said in a statement that 13 people working in the fuel trade were killed, including five women. Five others sustained various injuries during the strike on the Adikong area of West Darfur.
The council reported that the attack resulted in the total destruction of a fuel market and several civilian vehicles. It also noted that significant quantities of food supplies were incinerated during the raid.
According to the council, the victims were small-scale traders and labourers who used horse-drawn carts to move goods from the Chadian town of Adre to the crossing. The statement described these activities as civilian livelihoods.
The Adre crossing is a primary route for commercial goods and humanitarian aid, including medicine and shelter materials. However, the RSF has faced repeated accusations of using the corridor to smuggle military equipment from Chad.
The council stated the strike occurred less than 50 meters from the nearest Chadian security post, calling it a direct threat to Chad’s security. The group described the incident as a violation of international humanitarian law.
MSF condemns attack on border market
Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) condemned the Sudanese army’s drone attack, describing it as “unacceptable” and calling for an immediate end to such strikes.
The humanitarian organization said the raid targeted a fuel depot in the Adikong border market. According to MSF, the explosion caused four deaths at the site and a high number of injuries.
Gado Maidou, MSF head of mission in Chad, highlighted the scale of the civilian toll. Maidou noted that an MSF-supported hospital in the Chadian city of Adre received 23 wounded civilians within an hour of the strike, including four women and seven children under 15.
This incident marks the second air raid on Adikong in less than a month. MSF reminded all warring parties of their legal and moral obligations to protect civilian lives during the conflict.