Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces carried out a drone attack on a military air base and other facilities near Port Sudan’s airport, the Sudanese army said Sunday, marking the first such assault to reach the eastern port city.
Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdallah said no casualties were reported. The RSF did not immediately comment on the incident.
The attack signals a major escalation in Sudan’s two-year conflict, bringing the war for the first time to the eastern region, which hosts a large number of displaced people. Until now, the area had been spared bombardment.
In response, the army said it bolstered security around key facilities in Port Sudan and closed roads near the presidential palace and military command.
The RSF has repeatedly targeted power stations in army-controlled areas of central and northern Sudan in recent months, though the strikes have caused few casualties.
Port Sudan, home to Sudan’s main airport, military headquarters and a major seaport, has been considered one of the country’s few safe havens amid the war.
The conflict between the army and the RSF erupted in April 2023 amid tensions over a planned transition to civilian rule. It has devastated the capital, Khartoum, displaced more than 12 million people and triggered what the U.N. calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with famine conditions reported in some areas.
In March, the army pushed the RSF out of its last strongholds in Khartoum, but the paramilitary group still controls parts of Omdurman, just across the Nile River, and has strengthened its grip in western Sudan, effectively splitting the country into rival zones.
The war has also fueled ethnic violence, particularly in Darfur. While exact casualty figures are unclear, a study published last year estimated that at least 61,000 people were killed in Khartoum state alone during the first 14 months of fighting.