Sudan’s Paramilitary RSF Launches Drone Strikes on Strategic Targets in Port Sudan, Officials Confirm
In a dramatic escalation of the Sudanese conflict, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have launched a series of drone strikes targeting key military and logistical installations in Port Sudan, government officials confirmed on Monday. The attack marks a significant shift in tactics by the RSF, bringing the conflict dangerously close to one of Sudan’s few remaining operational hubs on the Red Sea.
According to military sources, the drone attacks struck near a government intelligence compound and a fuel storage facility critical to the region’s infrastructure. Although no civilian casualties have been officially reported, the strikes caused panic among residents and heightened fears of broader destabilization in the coastal city, which has thus far remained a strategic safe zone amid the country’s year-long civil war.
Port Sudan, the de facto administrative center for the government since Khartoum became a battlefield, has been a crucial lifeline for humanitarian aid and international diplomatic efforts. Its relative stability has attracted foreign embassies and international organizations seeking to maintain a presence in the country during the ongoing crisis.
“The use of drones by RSF indicates a worrying escalation and suggests growing access to advanced weaponry,” one official with the transitional government told reporters, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. The RSF, which has been engaged in a brutal power struggle with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, has traditionally relied on ground-based tactics. The introduction of aerial attacks could tip the balance of power in a conflict that has already displaced millions and left thousands dead.
Eyewitnesses in Port Sudan described hearing loud explosions and spotting drones flying overhead late Sunday evening. Video footage shared on social media, which has not yet been independently verified, appears to show fires and plumes of smoke rising from targeted zones within the city.
The Sudanese government has yet to release an official casualty report but condemned the attack as a “cowardly act of terrorism” aimed at crippling the nation’s last functioning port. A military spokesperson stated that countermeasures are being deployed and security in the city has been tightened.
International observers warn that the latest escalation could jeopardize ongoing peace negotiations brokered by the African Union and IGAD. The UN has called for an immediate ceasefire and has urged both parties to return to dialogue, emphasizing the humanitarian consequences of continued warfare.
As Sudan’s civil war drags into its second year, the shift to drone warfare adds a new and troubling layer to an already catastrophic conflict. With Port Sudan now in the crosshairs, the stakes for both military and humanitarian outcomes have risen dramatically.
Stay tuned for further updates as this developing story unfolds.
Source : Swifteradio.com
