PORT SUDAN, May 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Drones belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the Osman Digna air base in Port Sudan at dawn on Sunday, forcing the closure of the city’s nearby airport, the Sudanese army said.
The attack marks the first time Port Sudan airport, located in eastern Sudan, has been hit by drones, Sudan Tribune reported. The city has served as Sudan’s temporary capital since the war between the army and the RSF erupted two years ago.
The RSF also targeted Kassala airport in eastern Sudan with a drone on Saturday.
Army spokesperson Brigadier Nabil Abdallah said in a statement that “the enemy” used suicide drones on Sunday morning to target the Osman Digna air base, a goods warehouse and civilian facilities in Port Sudan.
Abdallah said the army’s anti-aircraft defences shot down several drones, but others caused limited damage, hitting an ammunition depot at the air base. The attack caused scattered explosions but no casualties among personnel, he added.
Port Sudan International Airport sources told Sudan Tribune that flights were suspended indefinitely following the attack on the nearby air base.
Five domestic flights scheduled for Sunday were cancelled, the sources said.
Eyewitnesses and workers at a checkpoint on the Port Sudan-Khartoum highway said they heard explosions from the airport’s direction. Smoke could be seen rising from the facility, which is located about 20 km south of Port Sudan city.
The attack brings the conflict closer to army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the ruling Sovereignty Council. He survived a drone assassination attempt on July 31, 2024, in Jibit, Red Sea state. Five people, including students and an officer, were killed in that attack during a military graduation ceremony.
That incident was the first drone attack reported in Red Sea state since the war between the army and RSF began in April 2023. — NNN-AGENCIES