South Sudan has accused Sudan’s military of carrying out a drone attack that killed more than 150 people at a market in the disputed Abyei region.

The strike hit Amiet market on 19 October. Abyei’s caretaker information minister, Yohana Akol Ngor, put the death toll at 153 and warned it could rise as recovery work continued.

The casualty figure and attribution came from officials. Sudan’s armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment in the Reuters report carried by ABC News.

Sources cited by Reuters said the strike hit a fuel depot within the market that had previously been used for RSF supplies.

Médecins Sans Frontières said it was treating more than 20 wounded people at nearby Ameth Bek Hospital, including patients with burns.

South Sudan summoned Sudan’s ambassador in protest. The United Nations condemned the attack and warned about continuing drone strikes’ effects on communities and infrastructure.

The incident adds to concern that the conflict between Sudan’s military and the RSF, which began in 2023, is increasingly endangering neighbouring areas.