Six United Nations peacekeepers from Bangladesh died on Saturday when a drone strike hit a UN camp in Kadugli, the capital of Sudan’s South Kordofan state.
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) reported the attack and said the strike injured six more troops, four of them critically. All the victims were Bangladeshi nationals serving under the UN flag.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack, calling it “horrific.” He warned that it may constitute a war crime under international law. He stressed that attacks on peacekeepers are unjustifiable. He also said accountability must follow.
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life. He confirmed six deaths and eight injuries and urged the UN to ensure full emergency support for Bangladeshi personnel. Yunus also pledged government support for the families of the victims.
Dhaka’s foreign ministry issued a separate statement strongly condemning the strike.
Witnesses and a medical source told AFP that a drone struck the UN facility while peacekeepers were inside the building. Eyewitnesses described fires and heavy smoke rising from the UNISFA base.
At least 6 Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in drone strike on a UN facility in Sudan pic.twitter.com/HAd7Kf1MyR
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 13, 2025The Sudanese army released video footage showing flames and smoke at the site. The army-aligned government in Port Sudan accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the attack. They described it as a “dangerous escalation.”
However, the RSF rejected the accusation in a Telegram statement. The group denied launching a drone attack and dismissed claims linking it to the incident as false.
Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris accused the RSF of terrorism. He urged the United Nations to ensure those responsible face justice. Kadugli has remained under siege for nearly 18 months and faces severe humanitarian pressure in South Kordofan, where famine was declared earlier this month.
The wider Kordofan region is strategically important. It connects RSF-controlled Darfur in the west with army-held territories in central, northern, and eastern Sudan. Control of the area allows forces to maintain supply routes and move troops.
After capturing El-Fasher in Darfur in late October, the RSF advanced eastward into Kordofan. Analysts say the group aims to breach the army’s defences and eventually regain control of Khartoum.
Violence in South Kordofan has intensified in recent weeks. Last week, air strikes hit a kindergarten and a hospital in Kalogi. The attack killed at least 114 people, including 63 children, according to the World Health Organisation.
Since the conflict began in April 2023, Sudan’s war has caused severe humanitarian impacts. It has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Despite international efforts, peace initiatives have failed to date.
