Khartoum, Oct 21 (IANS) The Khartoum International Airport and several areas of the Sudanese capital were attacked by drones early Tuesday morning, just one day before the airport was set to resume domestic flights.
“Khartoum Airport was targeted by five suicide drones at dawn today,” a military source told Xinhua news agency. “Ground-based anti-aircraft systems intercepted and shot down the drones, and limited losses were recorded,” said the source, who requested anonymity.
Another source at the airport said several maintenance workers and a civil defence officer sustained minor injuries in the attack.
Local residents reported hearing explosions across various neighborhoods in the capital. “We heard the sounds of about 11 drones, followed by successive explosions,” said an eyewitness from the East Nile area.
No official statements have been released so far.
On Monday, the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority announced that Khartoum International Airport would resume domestic flights starting Wednesday.
The airport sustained heavy damage during the ongoing conflict, having been among the first sites attacked by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the outbreak of the war on April 15, 2023.
Authorities have since worked to rehabilitate the airport after the army regained full control of Khartoum State in May.
An announcement is expected soon regarding the reopening of the airspace between eastern Sudan and Khartoum, which has remained closed since the conflict began.
Port Sudan International Airport, in the country’s east, remains the only operational hub for international flights, while some local airports continue to operate on a limited basis.
Sudan remains locked in a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which errupted in April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, plunging the country deeper into humanitarian crisis.
–IANS
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