Port Sudan has become the focal point of escalating violence as a series of drone strikes targeted key military and civilian locations in the city on Tuesday, according to airport and security officials. This marked the third consecutive day that the wartime capital of Sudan endured assaults linked to the ongoing conflict between the army and rival faction.
Reports indicate that one drone struck the civilian section of Port Sudan airport, the country’s primary point of entry. This attack came just two days after the military base at the same airport was first targeted in a drone assault, which the army attributed to the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In addition, military sources confirmed another drone attack on the main army base located in the city’s center. Witnesses reported that the strikes also hit a nearby hotel, raising concerns about civilian safety in the vicinity. Both the army base and the hotel are situated close to the residence of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who has been embroiled in conflict since April 2023 with his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the RSF commander.
Further intensifying the situation, a third drone targeted a fuel depot near the southern port area, an area densely populated with civilians. This location has become increasingly important as many have relocated there from the capital, Khartoum, amid ongoing violence.
The RSF has been resorting to drone warfare as it faces territorial losses, including the near-total loss of Khartoum in March. Their recent attacks have reached deep into territory controlled by the army, demonstrating a shift in tactics as they adapt to changing battlefield conditions.
Explosions were reported throughout Port Sudan early Tuesday, accompanied by thick plumes of smoke billowing from multiple sites within the city. An AFP correspondent noted significant blasts were heard at dawn, creating a sense of alarm, with one explosion near the port and another from the fuel depot that has been ablaze since Monday due to prior drone strikes.
The current conflict has wrought devastating impacts on Sudan, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands, displacing approximately 13 million people, and contributing to what the United Nations has described as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in terms of hunger and displacement.
