Drone Strike on Abyei Market Kills at Least 153 as Fuel Depot Ignites

A drone attack on Amiet Market, located north of Abyei town in the border region contested by Sudan and South Sudan, struck a fuel depot and killed no fewer than 153 people. Yohanna Akol Ngor, the caretaker information minister of the Abyei administration, attributed Monday's strike to Sudan's military and said the casualty count was still climbing as the blaze continued to burn. A senior Sudanese military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he lacked authorization to address the press, confirmed the army launched the drone strike on Monday and said it targeted fuel tankers crossing from South Sudan that he described as destined for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The strike set off an inferno that engulfed civilian stalls in the market. Ngor provided the death toll and details to the Associated Press by telephone on Tuesday.