The United Nations says drone strikes killed at least 306 people in Sudan during the first three weeks of October. The toll, announced on Friday, 23 October, is the latest count in the Sudan war, which has run since April 2023.
For US readers, the figure shows drones widening a war that Washington is trying to end through the Quad mediation group. Civilians, not front-line armies, now carry most of the cost.
Key Facts
- Who: The UN Human Rights Office, counting strikes by Sudan’s army and the RSF paramilitary.
- What: At least 306 people killed and hundreds injured by drones from 1 to 21 October.
- Deadliest: At least 139 died in a repeat strike on a truck in West Kordofan on 18 October.
- Abyei: A 19 October strike on Amiet market killed over 80, the UN says; local officials say 153.
- Why it matters: Drones already cause most civilian deaths in Sudan’s war this year, the UN says.
- Prediction markets: Polymarket prices a Sudan ceasefire by 31 December 2026 at 8% (24 October 2026, 1:22 am ET).
This story is part of our coverage of the Sudan war. Who is fighting, who backs whom and the humanitarian situation are explained in our dossier.
UN Counts 306 Drone Deaths in Three Weeks
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday, 23 October, that drone strikes had killed at least 306 people since 1 October. He called the rising use of drones, “already accounting for the majority of conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan this year,” “deeply disturbing” and said it was “exacting a horrifying toll.”
The UN Human Rights Office attributed the strikes to both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group. It said they hit homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, power stations and water sources.
The Deadliest Strikes of the Month
The UN counted at least 139 dead on Sunday, 18 October, when a transport truck in Dibab, West Kordofan, was hit in a repeat “double tap” strike. Sources cited by Reuters put the toll at 145 on the truck.
On Monday, 19 October, a drone hit Amiet market in the disputed Abyei area, which both Sudan and South Sudan claim. The UN says more than 80 people died, while Abyei’s caretaker information minister told Reuters the toll had reached 153.
Médecins Sans Frontières said it treated more than 20 patients, including burn victims. The minister said about 8,000 people were displaced.
Who Is Blamed for the Abyei Strike
South Sudan’s foreign ministry blamed the Sudanese army and summoned Sudan’s ambassador. Sudan’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, 22 October, that the army had no connection to the incident.
An unnamed senior Sudanese military officer told the Associated Press on the day of the strike that the army had targeted fuel tankers arriving from South Sudan for the RSF. That claim has not been verified, and Reuters reported that three diplomatic sources said the market’s fuel depot had been used by the RSF.
The RSF-aligned parallel administration has called for a UN investigation. Our earlier report on the Abyei market strike has the first day of the story.
Spillover Into Chad
A drone strike on Bamina market in Chad’s Wadi-Fira province killed four people and wounded 14 on Monday, 19 October. A provincial official called for an inquiry, and Chad’s government denied that its army was involved.
What It Means for US Readers
Drone strikes let both sides hit markets, trucks and depots far from the front lines, and the UN count shows civilians bear most of the cost. That pressure lands on Washington, which took part in the May 2023 Jeddah Declaration on protecting civilians and sits in the Quad mediation group, so far without a ceasefire.
Our explainer on the failed Geneva talks shows why mediators still lack a ceasefire. A reader tracking US policy should watch whether Washington answers the UN count with new pressure on either side.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, prices a Sudan civil war ceasefire by 31 December 2026 at 8%, with US$119,582 traded, as of 24 October 2026, 1:22 am ET. The price is an implied probability from real-money bets, not a poll.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
The final toll at Amiet is unresolved, with the UN counting more than 80 and local officials 153. No independent investigation has yet established who fired the drone.
It is also unknown who launched the drone that hit Bamina. The UN has not published a death toll for each incident beyond the cases it named.
Sources
UN Human Rights Office statement, 23 October 2026 (AllAfrica); Anadolu Agency; Radio Tamazuj; Sudans Post; Tchadinfos; Reuters and Associated Press reports of 20 October 2026; Polymarket.
More: Sudan War hub · Sudan war explained
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have drone strikes killed in Sudan in October 2026?
The UN Human Rights Office documented at least 306 deaths and hundreds of injuries from drone strikes in Sudan during the first three weeks of October, announced on 23 October.
What happened at Amiet market in Abyei?
A drone strike on 19 October killed more than 80 people, according to the UN, and 153, according to local officials. Responsibility is disputed.
Who is responsible for the Abyei market strike?
It has not been established. South Sudan blames the Sudanese army, Sudan denies a connection, and an unnamed army officer told AP the army targeted RSF fuel tankers.
Do drones cause most civilian deaths in Sudan?
UN rights chief Volker Türk said on 23 October that drones are already accounting for the majority of conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan this year.