Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces launch drone attacks on Khartoum and two northern cities

The Rapid Support Forces launched a series of suicide drone attacks on Wednesday morning targeting Sudan’s capital Khartoum and the northern cities of Atbara and Damer, marking a sudden escalation after several months of relative calm in the capital.

Agence France-Presse reported that anti-aircraft fire was heard from a military base north of Omdurman, while eyewitnesses in Atbara and Damer said drones were spotted and explosions were heard in both cities, which remain under Sudanese army control.

Germany’s DPA news agency cited Sudanese field sources as saying a drone crashed in a residential neighborhood in the Al-Samrab area of Khartoum Bahri, as part of the attacks on the capital. The Sudan News website confirmed that one of the drones fell in a populated area of Al-Samrab, but there were no immediate reports on casualties or material damage.

Damage assessment ongoing, no official toll yet

In a related development, suicide drones also targeted Damer, the capital of River Nile State, with initial surveys underway to assess the extent of the losses. No official figures have yet been released regarding casualties or damage from the attacks on Khartoum, Atbara, and Damer.

This escalation comes amid heavy use of drones by both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, as the conflict that erupted in April 2023 continues. The war has killed more than 59,000 people and displaced around 13 million others, pushing large parts of Sudan toward famine, with over 30 million people in need of humanitarian aid.