Militia groups detonating bombs at Port Sudan's airport, according to military reports
Port-Soudan's Unfortunate Strike 🔥💣
Port-Soudan, the temporary seat of Sudan's provisional government, was hit by Sudanese paramilitary forces on a stormy Sunday, according to the army's announcement. This marked the first such attack on the city in two years of brutal war.
Recently, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary outfit, have amplified their aerial assaults on territories under the army's control. This rampage has resulted in the ceding of control of substantial zones.
Sudan has been caught in a power struggle ever since April 15, 2023, between army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and his former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the head of the RSF.
Gen. Nabil Abdoullah, the army spokesman, reported that the enemy had targeted the Osman Digna airbase with explosive drones,/a cargo warehouse, and some civilian facilities at Port-Soudan. Thankfully, he claimed the damage in the city, nestled on the Red Sea and roughly 650 kilometers from the nearest known RSF positions, was minimal.
Explosions rocked the area, sending smoke billowing from the airport sector, as depicted in AFP images. Flights resumed at 11 a.m., confirmed the Civil Aviation Authority.
An AFP correspondent, residing about 20 kilometers from the airport, recounted feeling their house tremble as the explosions boomed. As they headed to the terminal, they were abruptly evacuated.
Anti-aircraft missiles were also fired at a drone en route to an airport west of the city.
In Kassala, a border city with Eritrea also under army control, about 500 kilometers south of Port-Soudan, witnesses saw three drones strike the airport.
Residents in the south reported observing drones flying over El-Obeid's capital, North Kordofan, before hearing explosions and witnessing smoke rising from the market area.
The army, chased from Khartoum by the RSF at the onset of the war, regrouped in Port-Soudan and took control of the government seat. The city also shelters UN agencies and hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
The army now safeguards the center, east, and north of the nation, while the RSF maintains almost all of Darfur and some parts of the south. With no air power, the RSF relies on drones, which the Sudanese government alleges the United Arab Emirates supplies.
This delicate power struggle has left tens of thousands dead, displaced 13 million individuals, and pushed certain regions towards famine, creating what the UN describes as the "worst humanitarian catastrophe" in the world.
Aerial Assaults: A New Threat 🛩️💣
Although there's no explicit data on the effect of aerial assaults on Port-Soudan and Kassala, aerial power has significantly shaped the conflict. For example, Iranian armed drones have boosted the Sudanese Army's (SAF) fighting prowess [3][5]. This technological edge brings a crucial dimension to the conflict, possibly swaying the outcome of battles across different regions.
Despite the continuous back-and-forth of attacks, the SAF aims to demonstrate an all-encompassing reach and strike power, attempting to disrupt air traffic and annihilate vital infrastructure, like the Osman Digna base's weapons depot [6]. These militaristic moves could drastically alter the geopolitical landscape and the trajectory of the conflict.
- The aerial assaults, including the use of missiles, have increased significantly and have resulted in the loss of control of substantial zones, as seen in the recent attack on Port-Sudan by the Rapid Support Forces.
- The Osman Digna airbase in Port-Sudan, a key strategic location, was targeted by the enemy with explosive drones, posing a potential threat to the city's infrastructure and stability.
- Kassala, another city under the army's control, has also faced similar aerial attacks, with drones striking the airport, indicative of a growing use of aerial power in the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Sudan.
- The use of drones in wars and conflicts, as seen in Sudan, is becoming a significant part of political and general news, with countries like the United Arab Emirirates allegedly supplying these drones to paramilitary outfits like the Rapid Support Forces.
