Airstrikes Hit Gold Mining Camp on Disputed Sudan Egypt Border
Dozens of informal workers were killed in a remote border area where displaced civilians increasingly rely on unregulated gold mining for their livelihoods.
An airstrike struck an artisanal gold mining camp in a disputed border zone between Sudan and Egypt on Saturday morning. The attack occurred around 8:00 a.m. local time at the Jabal al-Uqaydat site, also referenced as Al-Aqeedat. The remote mountainous area sits hours away from major hospitals.
Sudanese legal monitoring group Emergency Lawyers reported that the strikes killed at least 72 civilian miners. The group accused the Egyptian Air Force of carrying out the attack. It said the cross-border operation violated international law and Sudanese sovereignty.
The Sudan Doctors Network reported a lower initial toll of at least 13 miners killed and 28 others injured. The medical group cautioned that the count would increase because of severe injuries and a lack of medical care. Extreme remoteness kept casualties from receiving prompt treatment.
Survivor Abdelaziz Youssef said a fighter jet appeared overhead and struck the camp five times. He reported that thousands of informal workers panicked and fled into surrounding mountains and nearby markets. Unverified photos and video footage shared by rights monitors showed dozens of bodies strewn across mining rubble.
An Egyptian military source told news agency EFE that Egyptian aircraft struck people who crossed into Egypt after ignoring warnings. The Sudan Doctors Network also said Egyptian officials had warned miners to leave. Egyptian military and foreign ministry officials released no official public statements immediately afterward.
The strike occurred near the Halaib Triangle, an area covering 20,500 square kilometers along the Red Sea. Both Egypt and Sudan claim the mineral-rich territory. Airstrikes hit the same location in June 2026, killing 23 miners.
At that time, Egypt did not claim direct strikes but announced operations against border smuggling and illegal mining. Cairo maintains close ties with the Sudanese Armed Forces while enforcing strict border controls.
Informal mining expanded after war broke out between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023. Millions of displaced people turned to mining for income. A 2024 United Nations report found that smugglers take more than half of Sudan's gold to fund fighting.
Rights groups are continuing field investigations to identify the dead and locate missing miners. Local medical teams warned that more victims will die while awaiting transport from the desert.
