Drone attack disrupts flights as safe zone comes under direct assault
PORT SUDAN – The Sudanese army has confirmed that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have carried out their first drone strike on the eastern city of Port Sudan, marking a major escalation in the ongoing conflict.
According to a military statement, the RSF targeted key infrastructure, including the Osman Digna Air Base, an ammunition depot, and civilian facilities near the Port Sudan Airport. While damage has been reported at the sites, no casualties have been confirmed so far.
Air traffic was immediately disrupted following the attack. All flights to and from Port Sudan have been suspended. A passenger flight originating from Dubai was forced to divert and land in neighbouring Saudi Arabia due to the strike.
The drone assault signifies a critical shift in the war that began in 2023 between Sudan’s military and the RSF. Port Sudan, located on the Red Sea, had served as a de facto administrative capital and a safe haven for thousands of displaced people after intense fighting rendered the capital, Khartoum, and other cities uninhabitable.
Security analysts say the strike on Port Sudan undermines the city’s status as a neutral zone and could deepen the humanitarian crisis as the conflict edges closer to one of the few remaining stable areas in the country.
The army has not disclosed whether air defence systems intercepted any of the drones, nor has the RSF issued an official statement claiming responsibility for the operation.
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