Khartoum, December 13 (QNA) - Six UNISFA peacekeepers were slain in a drone attack targeting their camp in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state in southern Sudan, the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) announced in a statement Saturday.

The statement clarified that all the victims were Bangladeshi nationals, adding that the attack also left six other peacekeepers wounded.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, expressed his profound grief over the incident, while the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the attack.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese military confirmed in a statement that six Bangladeshi UNISFA peacekeepers were killed and seven others injured, noting that the mission contributes to maintaining security in the disputed city of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan.

The Sudanese military's General Command stated that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the UN facility and the Bangladeshi battalion in Kadugli with a drone attack, firing three rockets.

In contrast, the RSF denied conducting any strike on the UN mission, asserting in a statement that they push back against allegations of an aerial offensive on the UN compound in Kadugli.

The RSF emphasized that their record is entirely free of any attacks on international organizations and missions, calling on all international organizations to exercise full reliability and accuracy in evaluating such claims.

The vast region of Kordofan, comprising three states, has witnessed a sharp escalation in clashes between the Sudanese military and the RSF since mid-April 2023, in a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions within Sudan and abroad.

Strategically located, Kordofan, known for its agriculture and livestock, serves as a key logistic and operational corridor between areas controlled by the military to the north, east, and center, and the Darfur region to the west under RSF control, further complicating the military and humanitarian situation in the region. (QNA)