Assaults by drones near Khartoum airport delay plans to reopen, say reports - As-salamu alaykum
As-salamu alaykum. Early-morning explosions were reported close to Khartoum International Airport, just a day before authorities had planned to reopen it, according to news agencies and local witnesses. People in central and southern Khartoum said they heard drones flying overhead in the early hours, and several blasts were reported around the airport between about 4am and 6am.
The airport has been closed since the fighting began in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which inflicted heavy damage to infrastructure. Local outlets and witnesses described more than eight explosions in and around the airport, with some reports saying “suicide drones” were used. Other sources spoke of plumes of smoke rising inside the airport compound. A security source also said some of the drones were shot down by the military.
Omdurman, north of Khartoum and home to key military sites, was reported hit as well. No group immediately claimed responsibility, and there was no clear information yet about casualties or the extent of damage.
The attacks came a day before the planned phased resumption of domestic flights, announced after technical and operational checks. Even after the army regained control of Khartoum earlier this year and people began returning - more than 800,000 have come back - drone strikes have still been reported, with authorities accusing the RSF of targeting both military and civilian sites. This incident was the third round of drone strikes on the capital in a week.
Large parts of the city remain devastated, many residents face frequent power cuts linked to these attacks, and fighting continues elsewhere - notably in the west, where the RSF has been pressing to capture remaining government-held towns in Darfur. If they succeed, they would control much of Darfur and parts of southern Sudan, while the army holds much of the centre, east and north. The conflict has caused immense suffering: tens of thousands killed, nearly 12 million displaced, and severe humanitarian crises of displacement and hunger.
May Allah protect the innocent and grant relief to those who are suffering.
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