Drone Strike on Crowded Market in Ghubaysh Kills 28 — West Kordofan Market Attack Among Deadliest Single Strikes of May 2026

A drone strike struck a crowded market in Ghubaysh, West Kordofan, on May 19, 2026, killing at least 28 people and wounding dozens. Witnesses described a possible two-stage attack: a first drone strike hit an RSF military vehicle in the market area, killing approximately three people, before a second strike hit a packed restaurant adjacent to the market, causing mass civilian casualties. Emergency Lawyers for Sudan documented the strike. SAF denied responsibility; however, Ghubaysh is located in RSF-controlled territory in West Kordofan, making a SAF aerial attack consistent with the operational pattern of SAF strikes on RSF-held towns throughout May 2026. West Kordofan sits between North Kordofan (where SAF has been pushing westward) and South Kordofan (where SAF broke the Dilling siege), making it part of the contested corridor SAF has been targeting to sever RSF-SPLM-N supply lines. The Ghubaysh market strike is among the deadliest single drone strikes of May 2026, comparable to the April 10 Kutum wedding strike (30–56 killed) and the April 17 Um Dukhun market strike (24+ killed). The UN OHCHR high-alert statement issued May 11 documented that armed drones were responsible for over 80% of all conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan in January–April 2026, with markets targeted at least 28 times in that period — a total that Ghubaysh extends. The attack adds to a pattern of drone strikes on civilian-populated markets in RSF-controlled West Kordofan, including the April 16 El Wahda market strike in El Fula (capital of West Kordofan) that killed 9 civilians including 3 women and 6 children.