U.N. Chief: Drone Strike Kills 6 Peacekeepers at U.N. Facility in Sudan

Six international peacekeepers were killed in a drone strike that hit a United Nations facility in Sudan on Saturday, according to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The strike impacted a peacekeeping logistics base located in Kadugli, a city in the central Kordofan region, Guterres stated. Eight additional peacekeepers sustained injuries in the attack. All of the victims were Bangladeshi citizens serving with the U.N. Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Guterres strongly condemned the attack, emphasizing that "attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law." He called for those responsible for the "unjustifiable" act to be held accountable.

The Sudanese military has placed blame for the attack on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group currently engaged in a conflict with the army for control of Sudan that has lasted more than two years. As of yet, there has been no response from the RSF.

The Sudanese military released a statement asserting that the attack "clearly reveals the subversive approach of the rebel militia and those behind it." The military also shared a video on social media depicting heavy black smoke rising above what they identified as the U.N. facility.

The oil-rich Abyei region is a contested area between Sudan and South Sudan. The U.N. has maintained a mission there since 2011, the year South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan.

Guterres has also urged an immediate ceasefire in Sudan to facilitate "a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process" aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in the northeast African nation.