Abyei: Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight injured in a drone attack on a UN base in Abyei, southern Sudan, as reported by the head of Bangladesh's interim government. Muhammad Yunus expressed his shock over the incident and stated that the United Nations has been requested to ensure urgent medical treatment and necessary assistance for the injured peacekeepers.

According to Anadolu Agency, the attack was attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, which targeted the UN mission headquarters and the Bangladeshi contingent in Kadugli using a strategic drone that fired three missiles. The attack resulted in the burning of a UN mission warehouse and the death of six personnel, with seven others injured, all from the Bangladeshi contingent.

The Sudanese army described the incident as a criminal act and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and UN resolutions. It criticized the RSF for their actions, which it claimed exposed the destructive approach of the rebel militia and their backers. Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council also condemned the attack as a serious breach of the protection afforded to UN facilities and a blatant violation of international law.

The Council held the RSF fully responsible and urged the UN and the international community to take firm actions to protect UN facilities and hold perpetrators accountable. As of 1900GMT, the RSF had not issued any comment regarding the incident.

The attack marks the first of its kind to target the UN mission in the Abyei region since the conflict between the army and RSF began in April 2023. Kadugli has been under siege and subjected to repeated attacks since the early months of the war. There was no immediate comment from the UN mission, which has been deployed in the Abyei region since 2011. The oil-rich region is claimed by both South Sudan and Sudan, leading to prolonged conflict.