A drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region by Sudan's military has killed at least 153 people, a local official said.
The attack pushed the death toll from a series of strikes in recent days past 250, in one of the bloodiest weeks of a civil war that has spilt across Sudan's borders.
Sudan's civil war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, causing a major humanitarian crisis and drawing in local militias and foreign powers.
Yohana Ngor, caretaker information minister in Abyei, said the death toll from the attack on Monday had risen to 153 from 73 and was likely to climb further.
“The fire is still burning. So the recovery process of the dead ones is still continuing. The situation is terrible,” Mr Ngor told Reuters. Some bodies had been burnt to ashes, he said.
Video from the scene on Tuesday showed charred, twisted remains of vehicles and buildings. Flames billowed from one building as residents inspected the damage.
Mr Ngor blamed the army for the attack but provided no evidence.
Three diplomatic sources, an aid worker and a conflict expert told Reuters that the strike hit a fuel depot in the market. The diplomatic sources said the depot had previously been used by the RSF to supply its forces. The paramilitary group did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Since then, both countries have laid claim to oil-rich Abyei, which is jointly administered. The region borders Sudan's Kordofan region, which has become a major centre of fighting in the war.
Officials in Sudan's military-led government said that the RSF was active in parts of Abyei, a claim Mr Ngor denied.
The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei warned in May that the RSF's presence in the region had increased insecurity. It said delays in determining Abyei's final status had put civilians and UN personnel at risk.
The UN strongly condemned the series of drone attacks in Abyei and other areas, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
“We remain alarmed by the relentless drone attacks across Sudan, as well as the damage they are causing to critical infrastructure – these attacks are taking a devastating toll on communities already struggling with the consequences of more than three years of conflict,” Mr Dujarric said in New York.