Egyptian drone strikes kill several at gold mine near Sudan border, miners say
June 16, 2026 (AL-ANSARI) – Several people were killed and others injured on Tuesday in drone and heavy artillery strikes targeting artisanal gold mining sites in Sudan’s River Nile State near the Egyptian border, local sources and miners said.
Miners accused the Egyptian military of carrying out the attack, pointing to an Egyptian combat camp established near the al-Ansari and al-Ogaidat mining sites.
The area has seen repeated friction in recent months. Miners said Egyptian border guards have previously burned equipment, torched temporary shelters, and fired live ammunition to disperse workers. Egyptian authorities have accused the Sudanese prospectors of crossing the international border to mine near a concession managed by an Egyptian company.
“The attack occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning using drones and heavy artillery, targeting traditional miners inside the shafts and at their temporary residential quarters in the al-Ogaidat mine,” a miner told Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity.
The miner added that the security situation remained too dangerous to determine the exact number of casualties.
El-Fadil Abu Leila, a miner at the site, said in a Facebook live broadcast that an Egyptian military drone directly bombarded locations near the al-Ansari market, causing deaths and injuries.
Abu Leila said the bombardment began early in the morning and lasted until noon, forcing thousands of workers to flee into the surrounding mountains and caves. Vehicles attempting to evacuate stranded individuals were also targeted and destroyed, he said.
According to Abu Leila, thousands of people remain unaccounted for due to the high concentration of informal workers at the site. He added that some deceased and wounded individuals remained trapped inside mining shafts because continuing fire prevented rescue efforts.
Sudan’s artisanal gold mining sector employs more than two million people, a figure that has surged since the outbreak of civil war in April 2023. Informal miners operating under harsh conditions across remote parts of the country produce more than 80% of Sudan’s total gold output.