At least six Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving with the United Nations mission were killed in a deadly drone attack in Sudan, according to officials from the United Nations.
The attack occurred on Saturday at a UN mission base located in the Kordofan region of Sudan. UN authorities confirmed that the drone strike directly targeted the base, resulting in the on-the-spot deaths of six Bangladeshi peacekeeping personnel. In addition to the fatalities, six more peacekeepers sustained injuries during the attack.
Officials further stated that four of the injured personnel are in critical condition and are receiving urgent medical treatment. It was confirmed that all the injured peacekeepers are also Bangladeshi nationals, highlighting the heavy toll suffered by Bangladesh’s contingent in the UN mission.
Bangladesh’s interim chief Muhammad Yunus strongly condemned the attack, calling it a cowardly and unacceptable act of violence against peacekeepers deployed to maintain stability and protect civilians. He urged the United Nations to ensure immediate, comprehensive, and all-possible emergency medical assistance for the wounded personnel. Muhammad Yunus also expressed deep sorrow and condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also denounced the attack in the strongest terms, stating that targeting United Nations personnel is strictly unacceptable under international law. He warned that such attacks may constitute war crimes and called for those responsible to be held fully accountable.
The Sudanese army has blamed the attack on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a rebel paramilitary group involved in ongoing clashes with government forces. However, no official response or denial has yet been issued by the RSF regarding the incident.
It is worth noting that Sudan has been engulfed in violent civil conflict for more than two years, a crisis that has resulted in thousands of deaths, widespread destruction, and the displacement of millions of civilians, while also placing international peacekeepers at increasing risk.
