 of launching a drone assault on an airbase and several nearby facilities){kind=link}
Sudan’s military has accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of launching a drone assault on an airbase and several nearby facilities in the Port Sudan airport area, marking the first such strike in the eastern region by the paramilitary group.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the army revealed that the RSF targeted not only the military airbase but also a cargo storage facility and some civilian infrastructure using unmanned aerial vehicles.
An ammunition depot reportedly sustained damage as a result of the drone strikes.
Reporting from the capital, Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan stated, “Both the civilian and military airports are in the same place.
“What we know from residents in the port city is that five drones were launched by the RSF and targeted the airbase.”
She further explained the complexity of the situation due to the shared use of the airport: “There is a section of the airport that is for civilian flights, but there are military flights that land in the same airport. So, it’s not clear if the drones were targeting the military or civilian facilities or both.”
As of now, there have been no confirmed civilian casualties. Morgan added, “It’s not clear if the RSF was trying to target the fighter jet that was displayed in an Air Force show there on Saturday afternoon.”
The incident raises new concerns about the expansion of the RSF’s operational reach and the increasing threat to previously unaffected regions of Sudan.