The sources said the strike, which occurred at about 22:00 local time (2000 GMT) on Saturday, hit the family house of Abu Aqla Kaykal, commander of the Sudan Shield Forces, in the village of al-Kaheli, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazirah state in central Sudan.

They blamed the attack on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been at war with Sudan's army since April 2023.

Among those killed were two of Kaykal's brothers, Azzam and Haidar, a relative, Siddiq Bakhit -- a commander in the Sudan Shield Forces -- and six children from the family, the sources said. The house and several neighbouring homes were also damaged, they added.

Kaykal previously served as the RSF's commander in Al-Jazirah state, where he has been accused of besieging entire villages.

He defected to the army's side in October 2024, after which his fighters joined military operations that helped the army recapture key areas of central Sudan, including Al-Jazirah and the capital Khartoum.

Both the RSF and the Sudan Shield Forces have faced accusations of committing atrocities during Sudan's ongoing conflict.

Kaykal has been accused of abuses against civilians both during his time with the RSF and since aligning with the army.

Neither the RSF nor the Sudanese army has commented on the reported drone attack.

Drone strikes by both sides have intensified in recent months, at times killing dozens of people in a single attack.

Khartoum was hit twice this week for the first time in months, while fighting has escalated elsewhere, including in Darfur, southern Kordofan and southeastern Blue Nile state.

Now in its fourth year, Sudan's war has killed tens of thousands of people -- with some estimates placing the death toll above 200,000 -- displaced millions and triggered one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.