Air strikes hit gold mines near Sudan-Egypt border, killing dozens, miners say

October 10, 2026 (AL-ANSARI, Sudan) – Air strikes hit artisanal gold mining camps near the Sudan-Egypt border on Saturday, killing and wounding dozens of Sudanese miners, a local worker and residents said.

Fighter aircraft carried out at least five strikes on the Al-Uqaydat mine near the Al-Ansari trading market in River Nile state, according to Mirghani Malik, an artisanal miner in the area.

Malik told Sudan Tribune that at least 20 injured workers were brought to the market for emergency treatment, while hundreds more fled into barren mountain ridges without water or supplies.

Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the casualty toll or identify the aircraft involved in the strikes.

Spokespersons for both the Sudanese and Egyptian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sudanese authorities made no immediate public statement on the strikes, though workers in the area shared unverified footage and images showing casualties and destroyed camps.

Cross-border tensions have flared in the frontier zone, where Egyptian border guards have accused Sudanese prospectors of crossing the unmarked boundary to mine near sites operated by Egyptian firms.

In June, the Egyptian military said it carried out security operations in its southern border territory against gold prospecting, smuggling, and illegal crossings, arresting more than 200 people. Similar strikes in the same frontier area in June also caused casualties among Sudanese miners.

Sudan’s artisanal gold sector supports over 2 million people and generates more than 80% of the country’s gold output, and it has expanded significantly as millions seek alternative livelihoods amid the devastating conflict that broke out in April 2023.