World · Africa · 1 hr ago
At least 72 gold miners killed in strike near Sudan-Egypt border
At least 72 people prospecting for gold were killed in air strikes on Saturday near the border between Sudan and Egypt.
Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers says the attack took place in Sudan’s River Nile state and blames the Egyptian air force, but that claim has not been independently verified.
Egypt has not commented on the attack.
The group says the death toll is provisional and could rise, while access to medical care in the remote area is difficult.
Sudan’s civil war has disrupted livelihoods and contributed to a rise in small-scale gold mining.
Gold is a major source of cash for the warring sides, and some Sudanese gold is reportedly smuggled into Egypt.
The strikes add to tensions over mining and security along the border, but no further official response or next step has been announced.
At least 72 artisanal gold miners were killed in air strikes in a border region of Sudan on Saturday, according to the rights group Emergency Lawyers.
Emergency Lawyers accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the attack, but the claim has not been independently verified.
The group said its death toll was provisional, and another organisation cited by n-tv reported 200 dead and about 120 injured.
Egypt had not commented on the latest strikes in the reports.
The attack took place amid conflict-related growth in artisanal gold mining and smuggling in the region.
- Who
- At least 72 artisanal gold miners were reportedly killed. Emergency Lawyers blamed the Egyptian air force.
- What
- Air strikes hit gold-mining sites and killed miners, according to rights groups.
- When
- Saturday; the reports were published on Sunday, 11 October 2026.
- Where
- A remote border region in Sudan, near the Egypt-Sudan border. DW placed it south of the Halayeb triangle.
- Why
- Not stated. Emergency Lawyers said the attack may be linked to efforts to assert control over the region’s natural resources.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians violates international humanitarian law and the right to life
These acts may constitute war crimes
The repeated attacks on the gold- and mineral-rich border regions reflect a desire by Egyptian authorities to expand and assert control over Sudan's natural resources
After the air strike, people scattered. Some people came to Al-Ansary [gold] market, others went in the other direction. That's why no one knows exactly how many were killed
Reports described earlier strikes on mining sites in the same border region, followed by a large-scale Egyptian security operation.
Air strikes hit artisanal gold-mining sites in the Sudanese border region.
Emergency Lawyers reported at least 72 deaths and said the toll was provisional.
- Reported death toll
- At least 72, according to Emergency Lawyers
- Alternative toll
- Darfur Victims Advocacy reported 200 deaths and about 120 injuries, according to n-tv
- Location
- River Nile state, Sudan; DW described the site as south of the Halayeb triangle
- Accused force
- Egyptian air force, according to Emergency Lawyers
- Earlier fatalities
- 23 workers were reported killed in a June attack on a mine in the region, according to n-tv
Sources
Mısır-Sudan sınırındaki altın madenine hava saldırısı: 72 madenci hayatını kaybetti
Airstrikes kill dozens of gold miners on Egypt-Sudan border, rights group says
Goldabbaustätten getroffen: Dutzende Tote nach ägyptischem Luftangriff auf Sudan
At least 72 Sudanese miners killed in air strike: Rights monitor
Mısır, Sudan sınırında altın madenine hava saldırısı düzenledi: 72 ölü
Dozens of gold prospectors killed in strikes on Egypt-Sudan border, rights group says
At least 72 Sudanese artisanal miners killed in strike, rights monitor says
Air strikes kill dozens of gold miners on Sudan-Egypt border
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