KHARTOUM – The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted key sites in Sudan’s capital Khartoum with drone strikes which hit Khartoum International Airport and an electricity converter station, according to local media.
The RSF launched a large-scale airstrike using suicide drowns in the morning on Tuesday, in a significant escalation just hours before the scheduled reopening of Khartoum International Airport, Rakoba News, a local outlet, reported.
Local residents in Khartoum and Omdurman recount that the city’s skies witnessed a buzzing drone flight since the early hours of the morning, as they crossed areas south of Khartoum and Omdurman toward the center of the capital.
This was followed by loud sound of explosions and the site of flames and smoke in several locations. The attack is seen as a clear attempt to disrupt the airport’s reopening after a hiatus of more than two years.
Local sources who spoke to Rakoba News reported hearing more than eight explosions at the airport and surrounding areas, without accurately identifying the targets hit.
The Sudanese army’s air defenses reportedly responded to the attack and managed to shoot down a number of drones, while others exploded on their targets, causing panic in nearby neighborhoods.
Military sources revealed that the army had prior knowledge of the Rapid Support Forces’ intention to carry out an airstrike using suicide drones, with the aim of disrupting the resumption of operations at Khartoum International Airport.
The current war in Sudan began on April 15, 2023, following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who were former allies in a military regime.
This conflict has roots in longer-standing issues, including ethnic tensions and resource competition, and has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
