Drones targeted Port Sudan, Sudan’s wartime capital, on Tuesday, marking the third consecutive day of attacks on the army-aligned government’s seat of power. According to airport and security officials, one drone specifically targeted the civilian section of Port Sudan airport, the country’s main port of entry. This attack followed the military base at the airport being struck two days prior, with the army attributing the strikes to the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Reports indicate that another drone aimed at the main army base located in the city center, which also hit a nearby hotel. The army base and hotel are situated close to the residence of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who has been involved in a conflict with his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the RSF, since April 2023.
Additionally, a third drone strike targeted a fuel depot near the southern port in the densely populated city center; this area has seen an influx of people relocating from the capital, Khartoum, due to the ongoing conflict. The RSF has increasingly turned to drone attacks, especially after losing significant territory, including nearly all of Khartoum in March.
Witnesses reported loud explosions early in the morning across Port Sudan, previously considered a safe haven. An AFP correspondent noted hearing explosions around dawn and seeing plumes of smoke rising over the city, with one significant explosion reported near the port and another from the fuel depot, which has been engulfed in flames since another drone strike on Monday.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced approximately 13 million people, creating one of the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
