At least 72 artisanal gold miners were killed in air strikes on Saturday in a disputed area near the Sudan-Egypt border, according to the Sudan-based Emergency Lawyers rights group. The group said jets struck civilians prospecting for gold in rugged territory south of the Halayeb triangle, which it said lies within Sudan.
The BBC described the site as a mining area in Sudan's River Nile state. Emergency Lawyers said the miners were unarmed and alleged that the strikes violated international humanitarian law. Neither the Egyptian government nor Sudan's de facto authorities had commented, according to the BBC.
The Halayeb triangle is claimed by both Egypt and Sudan and is associated with mining and gold trading. Deutsche Welle reported that the attack was the second such incident this year, while the rights group cited previous alleged attacks on gold prospectors.