Drone Strike Targets Funeral Procession in Southern Sudan Leaving Forty Civilians Dead Near Al-Foula

A drone strike near al-Foula, Sudan, has killed 40 civilians heading to a funeral. The tragedy follows RSF artillery shelling in Dilling amid a growing crisis.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 11:52 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from SANA

Targeted Strike on Humanitarian and Civilian Transport

A devastating aerial attack on a civilian transport vehicle has claimed the lives of at least 40 people in the southern regions of Sudan. According to Sudanese medical sources, the strike occurred on Tuesday as a small truck carrying dozens of mourners was traveling between the cities of Abu Zabad and al-Foula. The victims were reportedly en route to offer condolences at a funeral when the drone targeted their vehicle, resulting in the immediate deaths of multiple members from the same families. Preliminary reports from Wednesday confirmed that a significant majority of the deceased were women, highlighting the increasing vulnerability of non-combatants in the escalating theater of drone warfare.

Artillery Shelling and the Siege of Dilling

The massacre on the Abu Zabad-Foula road followed another lethal incident in South Kordofan, where heavy artillery fire struck residential areas in the city of Dilling. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that seven individuals, including at least one child, were killed in the bombardment, which also left 13 others injured. The network has formally attributed this shelling to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), noting that the attack caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. This uptick in indiscriminate fire has severely hampered medical operations in the region, as health networks struggle to manage casualties amidst a deteriorating security environment in the Kordofan states.

Escalation of Drone Warfare and Political Deadlock

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles has become a signature and increasingly lethal element of the conflict that began in mid-April 2023. While specific attribution for the funeral strike is still being investigated by local community bodies, the pattern of aerial bombardment mirrors recent escalations across West and North Kordofan. Political efforts to mediate a resolution between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF remain fundamentally deadlocked, with both sides intensifying operations in oil-rich and strategically vital southern territories. This military stalemate has left civilian populations trapped in a crossfire where traditional rites, such as funeral processions, have become high-risk activities.