Airstrikes in Sudan kill 72 miners, rights group blames Egypt

A Sudanese rights group reported that at least 72 workers were killed in an airstrike on a gold mine near the Sudan-Egypt border. The attack occurred on Saturday, according to the group.

The Emergency Lawyers rights organisation accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the attack. AFP could not independently confirm the account, and Egypt has issued no official comment.

This attack was the second on Jabal al-Uqaydat this year. In June, airstrikes, reportedly by Egypt, killed 23 workers at the informal gold mining site.

The Egyptian army did not claim responsibility for the strikes but said it had conducted a 'large-scale operation' against illegal gold mining within its borders.

The border between Sudan and Egypt is disputed, with both countries claiming the resource-rich Halayeb triangle. Cairo is a key ally of Sudan's army, which is at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Survivors described the attack as chaotic, with many killed and others fleeing the mine. They reported seeing bodies on the ground and fearing more trapped under rubble.