KHARTOUM, Sudan: At least 72 miners were killed in airstrikes targeting a gold mining site near the Sudan-Egypt border, according to media reports.
The Emergency Lawyers rights group accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the strikes. However, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said it could not independently verify the allegation, and Egypt had issued no official comment.
The Saturday attack on Jebel al-Aqaeed was reportedly the second strike at the site this year. In June, 23 miners were allegedly killed in Egyptian airstrikes targeting an informal gold mining area, according to the reports.
The Egyptian military has not claimed responsibility for the latest strikes. It previously said it had conducted a “large-scale operation” against illegal gold mining within its borders.
The Sudan-Egypt border region is disputed, with both countries claiming the resource-rich Halaib Triangle.
Egypt is a key ally of Sudan’s military, which has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in a conflict that has devastated the country.
