RSF Targeted Drone Strike Kills 9–17 Family Members of Sudan Shield Forces Commander Abu Aqla Kaikal in Al Jazirah State

An RSF drone circled the village of Al-Kahli Zaidan (approximately 40 km east of Wad Madani in Al Jazirah/Gezira State) on the evening of May 2, 2026 before firing multiple missiles at the family compound of Abu Aqla Kaikal (also rendered as Kaykal or Keikal), commander of the Sudan Shield Forces. The strike appears to be a targeted reprisal: Kaikal had defected from the RSF in October 2024, played a key role in SAF's recapture of Al Jazirah State, and had subsequently advanced SAF forces toward Khartoum — making him one of the highest-priority RSF targets in central Sudan. Those killed included Kaikal's brother Azzam Kaikal (himself a Sudan Shield Forces commander), a second brother Haidar Kaikal, Sudan Shield Forces commander Siddiq Bakhit (a family relative), and at least six children. Neighboring homes were also destroyed. AFP's initial report (via Spacewar, published May 3) cited 9 killed; The National (UAE) published on May 4 reported an updated figure of 17 killed. Two others — Haider and Khalid Kaikal — were reported injured per Sudan Horizon. Sudan's head of state Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan traveled to the Kaikal compound to offer condolences on Sunday night (May 3-4), and the Sovereign Council issued a formal statement condemning the RSF for the attack. TRT Afrika independently confirmed the attack. The strike demonstrates RSF's capability and willingness to conduct targeted attacks on SAF-aligned commanders' families deep inside SAF-recaptured territory, nearly 40 km from the nearest SAF-RSF contact line.