Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a drone strike on a military air base and surrounding facilities near Port Sudan Airport, marking the group’s first attack on the strategic eastern city, a Sudanese army spokesperson confirmed on Sunday.
While no casualties were reported, the strike represents a significant escalation in the ongoing war between the RSF and the Sudanese army. Until now, Port Sudan had remained largely untouched by the conflict, serving as a vital hub and relative haven for displaced civilians fleeing violence elsewhere in the country.
The RSF has not issued a statement regarding the strike. In recent months, the group has targeted power stations and military positions across army-controlled areas in central and northern Sudan, though these attacks have typically caused limited casualties.
The military responded swiftly to Sunday’s incident by increasing troop presence around key installations in Port Sudan and sealing off access to the presidential palace and army headquarters. The city, which houses Sudan’s main airport, military command, and seaport, has so far been viewed as the most secure part of the war-torn nation.
The drone attack signals a shift in tactics and reach by the RSF, suggesting the paramilitary group is expanding operations beyond its traditional strongholds. The escalation comes months after the Sudanese army reclaimed control of Khartoum, pushing the RSF out of its last remaining positions in the capital. However, the RSF continues to maintain a presence in Omdurman, just across the Nile River, and has entrenched itself in western Sudan, effectively splitting the country into rival zones of control.
Since the war broke out in April 2023, triggered by a power struggle between the army and RSF ahead of a planned democratic transition, Sudan has plunged into chaos. The conflict has ravaged the capital, displaced more than 12 million people, and left half the population—approximately 25 million—grappling with acute hunger. The United Nations has described the situation as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Death tolls remain difficult to confirm amid the ongoing conflict, but a 2023 study estimated that as many as 61,000 people may have died in Khartoum state alone during the first 14 months of the war.