Port Sudan –  Several people were reported killed and injured after air strikes targeted traditional gold mining sites in Sudan’s Red Sea State near the border with Egypt, according to miners and local sources, amid growing security tensions in the remote border region.

Sources among miners said the strikes hit a number of mining locations in the North Valley area, including the Al-Aqaydat mine, causing casualties among workers and damaging mining facilities and equipment.

According to the same sources, the area was subjected to repeated air strikes over recent days. Local miners alleged that Egyptian aircraft were responsible for the attacks, but no independent confirmation of the claim was available.

The reported incident comes amid accounts of military movements near the Sudan-Egypt border, further complicating an already sensitive security situation in one of Sudan’s most remote mining regions.

Neither Sudanese nor Egyptian authorities had issued official statements on the reported strikes at the time of publication, and Sudan Now was unable to independently verify the circumstances of the incident or determine responsibility.

The North Valley area is considered one of the most sensitive zones along the Sudan-Egypt border and has periodically witnessed security tensions linked to informal mining activity and broader military developments in the region.

The reported casualties prompted miners to appeal to Sudanese authorities, including Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Kamil Idris, for clarification regarding the situation and urgent assistance for those injured.

Sudan’s economic crisis and the conflict that erupted in April 2023 have pushed thousands of civilians toward traditional gold mining areas in search of alternative sources of income as livelihoods and employment opportunities have deteriorated across the country.

Artisanal mining has expanded significantly in recent years, becoming a key source of income for many young people, displaced families and communities affected by the conflict. However, the sector has also faced growing security, environmental and logistical challenges, particularly in remote and border areas.

No independent confirmation of the reported deaths, injuries or the identity of those responsible for the strikes was available at the time of publication.