Abyei:The death toll from a drone attack on a market in the disputed Abyei area between South Sudan and Sudan has increased to 153, as reported by a South Sudanese government official on Wednesday.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Yohana Akol Ngor, the acting information minister in the Abyei Special Administrative Area government, confirmed the fatalities from the attack on Amiet Market, also known as the 'Ostrich Market.' Ngor stated that the casualties included individuals whose bodies had been buried, with others still missing, suggesting the death toll could rise further.

Ngor accused the Sudanese army of conducting Monday's attack on the market, which is situated approximately 10 kilometers north of Abyei town. However, the Sudanese army has not commented on these allegations. The victims of the attack were buried in two mass graves, with some bodies charred in the assault. Additionally, 30 injured individuals are receiving treatment at a hospital, with some in critical condition.

On the day of the attack, Sudanese media reported that civilians, including South Sudanese nationals and members of Sudan's Misseriya tribe, were among the casualties. In response, South Sudan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Sudanese Ambassador to Juba, Isam Karar, to protest the attack.

Abyei, an oil-rich region, was granted special status under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed by Khartoum and Juba in 2003. The area acts as a bridge between northern and southern Sudan, with Arab Misseriya tribes residing in the north and African Dinka communities in the south.

This incident occurs amidst Sudan's ongoing conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023 over a dispute regarding the integration of the latter into the military. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced around 13 million people, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.